DEAR ABBY: My friendships have always included people of different races, religions, nationalities, sexual orientations, professions, etc. A few years ago, I had an experience that was both devastating and humbling on several different levels. It caused me to do a lot of introspection and self-improvement, which led to my becoming a more empathetic person.
Over the last few years, I have distanced myself from old friends and acquaintances who were racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. I have replaced them with new relationships with people who embrace diversity. Some of the people I no longer see ask me why we don’t talk or get together anymore. I don’t want to give them excuses like, “I’ve been too busy.” How do I explain to them that I don’t enjoy associating with people who hold bigoted views? – OPEN-MINDED IN THE MIDWEST
DEAR OPEN-MINDED: Because you no longer wish to associate with them, why not just respond with the truth? Say: “As you may know, I had an experience a few years ago that was life-changing. It made me re-evaluate my life and my relationships, so I decided to ‘edit’ them down and spend more time with people who think the way I do about life.”
DEAR ABBY: I am a middle-aged man who lost my wife to cancer 2 1/2 years ago. We had no children.
I’m now feeling very alone. I don’t seem to fit in anywhere. My old “guy” friends avoid me, and our married “couple” friends leave me out because I am not a couple anymore. I understand that, because they all do “couple” things. But even my family seems to have set me aside. When my wife was alive, we would be invited to my siblings’ homes for dinners during the holidays and other times. Now I often don’t even get a phone call.