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Should I Spend Two Years Dateless?
DR. WALLACE: I'm 17, and the guy that I love is 19 and is in the military service. I love him with all of my heart and soul, and he says that he feels the same way about me. We constantly talk about getting married when he gets discharged in three …Read more.
The High Cost of Prom Dresses
TEENS: It's prom time, and millions of teens are preparing to attend the grandest of all school-sponsored events. As a senior at Emerson High School in Gary, Ind., the only money I needed to have a wonderful experience was about $75. I already owned …Read more.
You Could Be Behind Bars
DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and so is Lori, my so-called girlfriend. We had been going steady for a year, but we broke up two days before we graduated. Our first nine months were super, but we had lots of problems the last three. The last straw was when she …Read more.
Congratulations on Your Grade-Point Average
DR. WALLACE: I will be graduating from high school in less than a month. I'm a very good student and have been accepted at Yale University. I will be attending Yale in September.
But I feel very disappointed that I was not selected as the …Read more.
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Ugly Duckling Turns Into Beautiful SwanDR. WALLACE: I'm 14 and consider myself to be an ugly duckling. I'm not too bad looking, but I'm very skinny and my shape is flat as a board. I've always loved the story of the ugly ducking that eventually turned into a beautiful swan. Then I read about actress Julia Roberts, who claimed she was one in high school. She said she was such an ugly duckling that she didn't even get invited to her high school prom. Do you know if this is true? I hope so, because it gives me hope. —Nameless, Naples, Fla. NAMELESS: Yes, Julia Roberts, who is obviously a beautiful (and highly successful) swan these days, has described herself as being an ugly duckling during her younger years — somebody who just never fit in. And she's not the only one. Stories of such transformations are plentiful. Please read the following letter: DR. WALLACE: When I was a young teen, I was the original ugly duckling. I wore thick glasses, had mousy brown, scraggly hair, and was 100 percent flat chested. Since my parents had limited funds, I wore a lot of clothes from stores operated by Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army. I was the typical "Second-hand Rose." I had few friends, and at school I was taunted and teased by my classmates. That was many years ago. Last year, I attended my 10-year class reunion and nobody recognized me. Why? Because they were expecting an older version of the Ugly Duckling dressed like Second-Hand Rose.
I can't tell you the number of guys who had been "big men on campus" who came up and talked with me while their wives gave me an icy stare. I loved every minute they stared. Some of them were with the "in" crowd — cheerleaders, student leaders and even the editor of the school paper. Several single guys even asked me for my telephone number and were disappointed when I told them I was soon to be married. That evening was one of the most enjoyable of my life. So for all you young girls who might consider yourselves ugly ducklings, don't fret. Slowly but surely, you will become beautiful swans. Mother Nature makes sure of that, so never stop believing in yourselves and keep the faith. I truly realize that it's painful waiting for this transformation, but while you wait, study hard and tell yourself every day that you're beautiful on the inside and soon will be beautiful on the outside. My mother always reminded me, "Good things happen to those who wait." I'm proof that she was right. —Nameless, Dallas, Tex. Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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