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 years.

My problem is that in three weeks, he is going overseas for 24 months. He said that he put in for overseas duty because he wanted to see some of the world before he settles down to get married. This move has made me very upset and unhappy. This means that we will not see each other until he comes back from overseas.

Both my parents and my older sister think that I would be stupid to sit at home two years dateless! I also am not 100 percent positive that we will feel the same way about each other once he returns. A lot can happen in two years.

Please give me your opinion. —Abby, San Clemente, Calif.

ABBY: At your age, and in your frame of mind, I would inform your boyfriend that it would be better for you to date others, if you choose, during his two years overseas. Encourage him to do the same, and when he returns home, the romance can proceed if the "love flame" is still burning.

LEFT-HANDED CHILD SHOULD STAY THAT WAY

DR. WALLACE: My parents are concerned because my little brother is starting to do everything with his left hand. They don't want him to be left-handed because they think it would be a tremendous disadvantage.

Should our family encourage Michael to use his right hand or let nature take its course? —Nameless, Columbus, Ohio

NAMELESS: Most psychologists agree that left-handed children should NOT be forced or "encouraged" to convert to right-handedness. Doing so could be psychologically damaging. Furthermore, being left-handed is hardly a handicap. Many of the world's most successful people are southpaws, including three of our last four presidents.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

DR. WALLACE: Why is the drinking age 18 on a cruise ship? My dad thinks it's because if 18-year-olds get drunk they can't drive and kill innocent people. Is this true? —Bessie, Willmar, Minn.

BESSIE: The minimum drinking age in all 50 states is 21, but once cruise ships, most of which are registered in foreign countries, are in international waters, they generally use 18 as the minimum drinking age. The reason is simple: maximizing profits. The more drinkers on board, the more money they rake in.

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 [email protected]. 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.