The Strip

Friday, January 1, 1904

THINGS I WISH MY KIDS WOULD ASK ME

Editor's Note: Barry Courter has a 24-year-old son who is a college graduate and a 19-year-old daughter who is a freshman in college.

Q: Dad, how do you tell someone you just aren't interested?

A: Firmly. I've seen people try the nice route, hoping to let someone down nicely, and it just makes things worse. And it's very hard to remain just friends when one or the other has publicly announced his or her feelings. Of course, there is always the old Steve Martin method, which involves repeating the phrase "I break with thee" three times and then throwing dog poop on the person's shoes. It's nasty but effective.