Dear Dr. Laura,
I am 29 years old and have listened to you with my granny since I was about 10. I was amazed how what you said back then seemed like a foreign language, but now makes perfect sense. I want to share with you a situation in which you played a major part, and which I can share with you with great pride.
I work with at-risk high school students. One of my male students always came into school smelling bad from not showering or his washing clothes regularly; making it miserable for those around him. I ruminated for months over what to do, how to approach the subject, and even asked our principal to speak with him about it because it made me uncomfortable - It was just too hard for me to do something that would make me feel awkward and embarrassed.
Then I realized that you, Dr. Laura, would have no tolerance for a person who was too much of a weenie to handle things themselves. I thought of how many times I have felt my skin crawl when hearing your listeners excuse themselves from doing the right thing because "It's just too hard." I then told myself that five push-ups are hard. I took a deep breath literally and figuratively, asked to speak with him privately, and gave it to him straight, as male types tend to prefer. I told him he had to shower and wash his clothes before coming to school, and he simply said, "Okay, I will." That was it. It was that simple. I then told my principal I already took care of it, and he was very impressed with me. I was so proud of myself for doing what I needed to do, even though it was hard and I was scared.
Thank you for the part you played in that scene, and for being the voice in my head when I am tempted to make excuses for being a weenie.
Audrey
