Dear Abby: Daughter Pans Dad's Fashion Flair

[cereta]

DEAR ABBY: My 62-year-old father has recently started to streak his hair with fluorescent colors. He does it when he goes to his job and coordinates his hair color with his outfits. As far as I know, his employer has not said anything as of yet.

Also, Dad has difficulty with social cues. My mother and I aren't happy with his "fashion" choices and we plead with him to stop doing this. It's embarrassing because it looks stupid and ridiculous. He claims he doesn't care what others think and that he has flair.

Are my mother and I wrong to criticize his "flair"? Isn't this behavior really inappropriate for a man his age? How can we convince him that he's making a fool of himself and should stop? Your help is appreciated. -- NO FOOL LIKE AN OLD FOOL

DEAR N.F.L.A.O.F.: Repeat after me: We cannot change other people; we can only change the way we react to them. Understand that how your father presents himself reflects only on him -- not you. Because you and your mother have tried reasoning with him and he refuses to listen, you all might be happier if you stop making his fashion choices your problem.

Comments

[the_rck]

A legitimate problem with this would be 'He's an attorney, and some judges won't let him into the courtroom now.' 'I think he looks weird and embarrassing' is not by any stretch of the imagination a valid reason to try to make him stop. It's a valid reaction, but that's entirely different.

It's not as if he's putting his life-- or anyone else's-- in danger.