Is it just me, or does Carolyn Hax seem to take tons of time off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's syndicated folks. Like Ann Landers. It's not like you are getting a real local person to comment.

Tell us you don't know anything about this person/column without telling us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her Dad died. Give her a break, sheesh.

Um, ok. If my dad dies I get 3 days of bereavement leave. Of course I could take more time off and probably would to deal with his stuff, but most people don’t get/take extended leave for a parent’s death.

Well, she does. And as long as her employer is good with it, you can read the old columns and chats until there's something new.

[Anonymous]

Yes, she takes lots of time off for at least a decade or so. And yes she always has tons of tech issues. And she will take time off for stuff like, the plumber is coming. Clearly she has a good gig.

I don’t read her as much as I used to. She has no qualifications to be giving people advice and I frequently disagreed with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sort of think she needs to retire or pass the torch. I remember when she started and it was like getting advice from a friend or big sister/cousin. Now it’s like you’re getting advice from your mother or grandmother.

Which is often the best advice you can get, believe it or not. I am clearly biased at my age but I've been reading Hax for decades and also lived through whatever age you are and unless your mother and grandmother are extremely screwed up and dysfunctional you might want to give their wisdom and expertise a little more respect.

I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too.

I hope she gets the time and space for some reflection.

Issues change but people don't, and her column is about relationships. Taking the attitude that your mother's and grandmother's experience isn't "relevant" to your life is a good way to make the same mistakes they did and not learn from the past.

I love my grandma! And Ann Landers/Dear Abbey were great in their time, too! I just think recognizing that views and expectations change from the older generations to the new, and there’s no harm to Carolyn recognizing that the eras and issues have evolved from when she was in her prime, and might be better served by a different voice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sort of think she needs to retire or pass the torch. I remember when she started and it was like getting advice from a friend or big sister/cousin. Now it’s like you’re getting advice from your mother or grandmother.

Which is often the best advice you can get, believe it or not. I am clearly biased at my age but I've been reading Hax for decades and also lived through whatever age you are and unless your mother and grandmother are extremely screwed up and dysfunctional you might want to give their wisdom and expertise a little more respect.

I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too.

I hope she gets the time and space for some reflection.

Issues change but people don't, and her column is about relationships. Taking the attitude that your mother's and grandmother's experience isn't "relevant" to your life is a good way to make the same mistakes they did and not learn from the past.

I love my grandma! And Ann Landers/Dear Abbey were great in their time, too! I just think recognizing that views and expectations change from the older generations to the new, and there’s no harm to Carolyn recognizing that the eras and issues have evolved from when she was in her prime, and might be better served by a different voice.

Why should she have to take the initiative to retire. Presumably her metrics are good if the Post and other newspapers want to continue to run her column.

And Wash Post does have a younger advice columnist -- Sahaj Kaur Kohli. Younger and a person of color so provides a different perspective. https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/sahaj-kaur-kohli/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sort of think she needs to retire or pass the torch. I remember when she started and it was like getting advice from a friend or big sister/cousin. Now it’s like you’re getting advice from your mother or grandmother.

Which is often the best advice you can get, believe it or not. I am clearly biased at my age but I've been reading Hax for decades and also lived through whatever age you are and unless your mother and grandmother are extremely screwed up and dysfunctional you might want to give their wisdom and expertise a little more respect.

I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too.

I hope she gets the time and space for some reflection.

Issues change but people don't, and her column is about relationships. Taking the attitude that your mother's and grandmother's experience isn't "relevant" to your life is a good way to make the same mistakes they did and not learn from the past.

I love my grandma! And Ann Landers/Dear Abbey were great in their time, too! I just think recognizing that views and expectations change from the older generations to the new, and there’s no harm to Carolyn recognizing that the eras and issues have evolved from when she was in her prime, and might be better served by a different voice.

Why should she have to take the initiative to retire. Presumably her metrics are good if the Post and other newspapers want to continue to run her column.

And Wash Post does have a younger advice columnist -- Sahaj Kaur Kohli. Younger and a person of color so provides a different perspective. https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/sahaj-kaur-kohli/

They also run the advice column from Elaine Welteroth, also a younger woman of color.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/elaine-welteroth/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sort of think she needs to retire or pass the torch. I remember when she started and it was like getting advice from a friend or big sister/cousin. Now it’s like you’re getting advice from your mother or grandmother.

How is that possible, since you are getting older in lockstep with her? Or are you like the high school girls in Dazed and Confused, staying the same age?

[Anonymous]

Nick is her ex husby not ex boyf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, she takes lots of time off for at least a decade or so. And yes she always has tons of tech issues. And she will take time off for stuff like, the plumber is coming. Clearly she has a good gig.

I don’t read her as much as I used to. She has no qualifications to be giving people advice and I frequently disagreed with her.

I am also not a fan. For many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sort of think she needs to retire or pass the torch. I remember when she started and it was like getting advice from a friend or big sister/cousin. Now it’s like you’re getting advice from your mother or grandmother.

Which is often the best advice you can get, believe it or not. I am clearly biased at my age but I've been reading Hax for decades and also lived through whatever age you are and unless your mother and grandmother are extremely screwed up and dysfunctional you might want to give their wisdom and expertise a little more respect.

I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too.

I hope she gets the time and space for some reflection.

Is there a particular issue/question that you reference when you say she's out of touch? I actually really disliked her columns when she hit popularity about ~20 years. I thought sheher responses reflected a lot of arrogance. So I stopped reading her. Every now and again, someone will reference a recent column and I will take a look. I think she's mellowed out a lot with time, and I better appreciate her advic enow.

I agree 100%. That was a turn off. People write in because they are in some kind of pain. Compassion works better than arrogance. She can still be clear and firm, which are her strengths. Just a little more understanding. And I think she hits that balance now.

[Anonymous]

“ I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too. ”

Funny. I think it hubris to think that one’s generation is so unique and special that other generations can’t understand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol I have noticed this too. She is constantly “away” and they post old columns.

No shade really, I mean she is clearly successful and no longer has to hustle every day all year , she can take vacations and still come back and have a popular column. Good for her. But yes I’ve noticed she is on vacation constantly. Sometimes I wonder, yeah, I’d be that level headed and generous in my dealings with others if I had 9 weeks of vacation a year too!

Yeah. Her "always take the high road" attitude is just not realistic. I find her posts kind of annoying honestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ I think there’s grace to recognizing when your many years of experience, while valuable, simply isn’t as relevant to modern issues. Validating the next generation’s perspective is a big benefit, too. ”

Funny. I think it hubris to think that one’s generation is so unique and special that other generations can’t understand it.

+1! I'm in my 30s, and lots of issues I have are the same ones my mom went through. The circumstances may be slightly different, but the core feelings/emotions/misunderstandings are all the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her Dad died. Give her a break, sheesh.

Um, ok. If my dad dies I get 3 days of bereavement leave. Of course I could take more time off and probably would to deal with his stuff, but most people don’t get/take extended leave for a parent’s death.

Which is exactly what she's doing.

[Anonymous]

She is insufferable.