Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he’s just an opinionated Old Guy.

Submit your questions to Dear Old Guy here.

Dear Old Guy,

I have a friend Randolph who had been my best buddy since sixth grade. That’s like 10 years! He now has a steady girlfriend who hates me. I don’t understand why that should be. Amy knows that Randolph and I are just old friends and I am no threat to her. To make things worse I can feel my friend pulling away from me though he claims nothing has changed. What can I do? I don’t want to loose him.

                  Signed, What a shame

Dear What,

           Your Randolph is being a dope. All you can do is width draw gracefully and hope when the time is right (like when the jealous wench he’s dating dumps his sorry behind) that he isn’t too embarrassed to admit that he jeopardized a good friendship for nothing. Potential mates come and go but a deep friendship is something you should cherish… and when you do finally meet a decent romantic partner they are the ones who will understand. —O.G.

Dear Old Guy,

It has come to my husband’s and my attention that our daughter, who is about to graduate high school, has been spending time with a man who is nearly 30 and has a small son out of wedlock. We know this because one of the other mothers saw Glenda in a nice restaurant with the guy holding hands.

My husband and I both agree that because of the age difference the relationship is not appropriate and we told Glenda that. Now that the cat is out of the bag, Glenda wants us to meet Arnold to see what a nice guy he is. I should mention, too, that Glenda is off to college several states away in the fall.

Should we meet the guy and try to give our blessing?

                               Signed, Just want to do the right thing

Dear Just,

I say have the guy over to dinner, and make sure he brings his boy. He might be a great guy and a terrific father but without knowing how much time Glenda has spent around his son she may even after a supper party realize on her own that playing stepmom at 20 isn’t so much fun.

Alternatively, I suggest telling Glenda that because college is about to begin she should not be forming a romantic relationship with anyone. The approach is much better than making a cause out of Arnold and her a martyr to love. Then all you can do is let nature take its course, unless you can arrange for Glenda to head off on a dream vacation with one of her girlfriends from, let’s say, early July until just before school begins. Rome? Fiji? Brittany? Trust me, Arnold will be in his lame duck session with just the announcement of such a trip.

—O.G.

 Dear Old Guy,

I recently became engaged to a wonderful man. We are planning to marry in the fall which means we will have been together for a year. My girlfriends think that is too soon, that Boris and I should know each other more like two years before we tie the knot. Well? I’m confused. What do you say?

       Signed, Filled with anticipation.

Dear Filled,

I think a year is plenty of time to get to know someone for a first marriage. —O.G.