Ask Annie for Aug. 20, 2003
First, a note from Annie to "classified" school employees: Don't discount the influence your kindness has on kids. I get letters from a boy I worked with 12 years ago, whose home life was so dismal, the tiny bit of encouragement I gave him once a day meant the world to him. I didn't know it at the time. Thanks for being there for those kids on the bus, in the halls, and in your reading groups. You might not get the recognition (and I know you don't get the pay) of the "certified" employees, but you might be more important to a whole lot of little people. Sometimes the only individual attention a kid gets in a day is from the playground lady, or the assistant in her resource room. Keep up the good work.
Dear Annie,
I know the letters on that redhead who asked you for make up tips weren't meant to be offensive, but I can't help but be bothered. What man would ever write and ask Annie how to be more attractive? So many of them don't even keep clean. I work in an office where we deal with people from virtually every walk of life, and I deal with many unattractive, inattentive men. If they would only try to keep neat and tidy! Most of the women at least try to keep themselves up. I've seen men pick their noses, brush at the dandruff in the hair on their shoulders peeking out from their tank tops (shudder!) and dig at their ears in public with their disgustingly dirty fingernails. Probably two-thirds of them need haircuts, haven't showered that day (or the day before) and many look like they need a shave. And when they come here, they know they'll get their pictures taken!
Completely Grossed Out
Please write to: Annie, P.O. Box 1084, Eatonville,WA 98328
E-mail: letters_annie@hotmail.com