European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 12, 1993 what it s like to be married at 17 Ann Landers dear Ann Landers this is in response to the letter from feeling miser Able in Jacksonville ha.," whose 16-year-old daughter Marie wanted to get married. You told the Mother she was right to refuse to give her Legal consent. Your answer was of but you could have Given a better one right from your own files. In fact you did in 1967. It appeared in the Denver Post and was written by a 17-year-old who  married Young and  Many regrets. Her letter was simply heartbreaking. Vohy Don t you reprint that column so feeling miserable can give it to Marie it May cause her to change her mind about getting married. Evelyn in Colorado dear Evelyn thank you for your Sharp Eye and terrific memory. Here s the letter which says it All dear Ann Landers i la Tell you what it is like to be married at 17. It is like living in this dump on the third floor. Your Only window looks out on somebody else s third floor dump. It is like coming Home so tired you feel nearly dead from standing All Day at your checker s Job in the super Market. But you Don t dare sit Down because you might never get up. And there Are so Many things you have to do cooking and washing and ironing. But you go through the motions and you hate your Job. You ask yourself Why Don t you quit and you know Why because there Are grocery Bills and medical Bills and the rent to pay. And Jimmy s Crummy Little Check from the lumberyard won t cover them. That s Why then you Tell the Sitter goodbye and you try to play with the baby until Jimmy comes Home. Only some times you Don t feel like it. But you do it anyway be cause you feel guilty about being away from her All Day. I then you. Mix the formula and Wash diapers and you hate doing it. You wonder How Long it will be before she knows you hate it. And would t it be awful if she knew already then Jimmy does t conic Home and you know he decided to go out with the boys again and do the things he should have done before he married you. So finally you eat the Lousy meal by yourself and Goto bed and cry your eyes out. When he docs come Home you can Tell he s been drinking but you Don t say a word because he hates to be told anything. So you try to go to sleep and dream about your parents and your Brothers and the kids you knew at school. You think about the great meals your Mother used to Cook anyhow Nice your room was at Home. Then you run member How she tried to talk you out of marrying so Young and you got mad at her and called her a dried up old woman and accused her of having forgotten what it warlike to be in love. You wonder How different your life would have been if you  gone to College. You have the feeling that Jimmy and the baby Are All part of a bad dream. But you know it s no dream. It s for real. So you reach Over to touch Jimmy and he pushes you away and says something mean. You cry yourself to sleep and makeup with a splitting headache. If you meet anyone who thinks she knows what it dislike to be married at 17, please Tell her about me. Sorry dear readers i could print a letter similar to this one every Day of the week. Arc you listening out there i Hope so. Letters to Ann Landers should to addressed to her at . Box 11562, Chi Cago Iii. 60611-0562. C creator Syndicate senior citizens Don t want More gifts dear Abby i have been Reading your column for Many years and now i am in need of tapping in on some of your advice. My husband and i Are senior citizens in the fortunate position of having everything we need and want. We have no children but we do have several nieces and nephews. We no longer shop for gifts for them r we Send them checks and let them buy what they want. In the past they have sent us Beautiful and some very expensive gifts so this year we asked them to please Cross us off their shopping list because we do not need anything and do not wish to accumulate any More  i explained that we would continue to Send them checks because they Are Young enough to enjoy spending or saving. One sister in Law said that our request for no gifts of quibble dear Abby fended and upset her son and daughter and we were wrong to deprive them of the pleasure of sending us gifts. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated. Ogre aunt in michigander aunt i m with you on this Issue. People who have More than they need or want arc Lucky to be Able to Tell the givers of useless gifts to cease and do Cist. How much better to direct a contribution instead to some of the truly needy people who would have Little or nothing at Holiday time. Churches temples the salvation army or the local United Way can provide names and addresses of local families who can use gifts. How about a contribution to the american red Cross earmarked for those who lost their worldly goods i Iowa Missouri Kansas Nebraska and Illinois in the recent devastating floods letters for this column should be addressed to dear Abby at . Box 447, mount Morris ill. 61054. C univ Sal press Syndicate the stars and stripes today s crossword Page 17 across 1 old portico 5 Painter gris 9jima 12 a number 1 13 Jason s Craft 14 silent assent. 15 aware 17 ring decision for shod18 do a Cobbler s Job 19 different 21 House Compo nent abbr. 22 Binge 24 cheese Board Choice 27 Picklo Holder 28 speaker s Placa 31 eternity 32 Blue 33 George s brother 34 kids often connect them 36 gear Paft 37 Post horse 38 hayseed 40 Compass hug. 41 nut bearing tree 43 figures 47 enact ment 48 unaware51 glance 52 lyricist s topic 53 wild party of old 54 san Francisco. Leg. 55 60 grains 56 sagacious Down 1 Hoose Gow 2 color Quality 3 chooses 4 having missed. 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