Dear Abby: This is for "Fellow Iowan," who boasted that his well-traveled children had been all over the world since the age of 2. I wonder how many other world travelers had their vacations ruined by children who were far too young to appreciate sight-seeing.
A 2-year-old doesn't care whether he rides a pony around a pyramid or a potato patch, and a 3-year-old can camp as happily in his own back yard as he can at the foot of the Himalayas.Incidentally, our children have also had the good fortune to have seen quite a bit of the world, but only after they were old enough to appreciate it and to behave respectfully toward other travelers and people of different cultures.
- Laura Nelson, Pleasant Hill,
Calif.
Dear Laura: "Fellow Iowan's" letter prompted numerous letters from my readers, and if my mail is a barometer, be assured you are speaking for many. The following letter is another example of the same point of view:
Dear Abby: Here's another perspective on the letter from "Fellow Iowan" who resented the letter from a reader who said she and her husband were able to travel worldwide because they were childless by choice. "Fellow Iowan" pointed out that even though she had a child, when he was 2, she took him to Egypt and the Himalayas.
My husband and I enjoy traveling. We've been all over the world in tour buses, airplanes and cruise ships - and many trips were spoiled by people who brought their small children along.
Two- and 3-year-olds do not gain much from foreign travel. They tire easily, cry, whine, sing and chatter because they are tired, bored or hungry. They also kick the backs of airplane seats while Mom and Dad snore contentedly beside them.
People who travel with children should teach them how to behave in public - and also wait until the kids are old enough to enjoy the trip.
- Kansas City Traveler
Dear Abby: In May 1988, I bought myself an answering machine. My very first call was from an old boyfriend I had met in the early '80s when we were at "Camp Courage" in Minnesota. We were both in wheelchairs - and will be for the rest of our lives - but that is not a problem for either of us. I was 23 and he was 20 when I first spotted this handsome guy at lunch, so I arranged to sit next to him at dinner that evening. An exciting romance followed, but we eventually split up on rather unfriendly terms.
Abby, we had no communication all those years, but when I returned his call, he told me he was now living only 90 miles from me and wanted to see me. I wanted to see him, too, so the next day, he drove up and spent the weekend with me. We hit it off so well that he drove up the following weekend, too. It soon became a habit! We have had our disagreements, but I always hung onto the hope that we would eventually be together for good.
Last month, he surprised me when he told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me! I was thrilled because that's what I had been hoping for.
No one knows for sure what lies ahead for us, but we love each other very much and believe we can have a long and happy future. We are both very independent and strong-willed, and it will be an interesting challenge. Our adventure is just beginning. Wish us luck.
- Sue in Minnesota
Dear Sue: Thanks for a wonderful upper of a letter. And the best of luck to you both in your future together.