DR. WALLACE: My fiance and I are both 20 and plan to be married in June. We are high school graduates. He works for his father's firm while I work in sales in a department store. I live at home with my parents and he lives with his parents. This allows us to save over $2,500 a month, so we can buy a house soon after we're married. His dad's company can build it if we purchase the land.

We are responsible young adults. We love sports and music and we sing in our church choir. We are also active in church youth activities. We don't do drugs, drink, or smoke. We simply love each other and want to live the rest of our lives together. My parents really like my fiance and his parents love me and are happy that we're getting married.

Not so with my mother and father, however. They think we're much too young to get married and they're too young to be grandparents. Both admit they married too young themselves-she was 17 and he was 18 (they are now 39 and 40). I already have my mind made up, but I still would like to hear what you think. If you agree with me, I'll at least be able to show my parents your response. If you don't, they'll never see it. — Courtney, Rye, N.Y.

COURTNEY: It looks like your parents will get to see my response. You and your fiance are ready to become husband and wife. Maturity is measured in wisdom and you appear to be a very wise couple. I wish you both all the best and thank you for allowing me to be a small part of one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

GIRLS MATURE FASTER

DR. WALLACE: Our physical education teacher told our class that girls mature faster than boys. What's the reason for this? Now I know why boys my age (12) act so stupid and silly. They just can't help it. — Emma, San Francisco, Calif.

EMMA: It's true that Mother Nature selected girls to mature mentally and physically faster than boys, but she hasn't yet told us the reason. But since Mother Nature is fair, she allows the boys to catch up with the girls, and by age 15 most boys are equal to girls mentally and physically. You notice I said most boys, not all boys!

HIS EGO WAS BRUISED

DR. WALLACE: This boy and I both worked part-time at a fast-food restaurant. He always flirted with me, but I told him I wouldn't go out with him because I didn't believe in dating a guy who worked with me. Last week he got fired because he wasn't a good employee. Yesterday he called me and asked me out. He said I couldn't use that "I don't date guys who work with me" line anymore. I told him I still didn't want to go out with him and he got upset. He said I'd "strung him along." Do you think I did? — Pamela, Erie, Pa.

PAMELA: You can go out with anyone you choose. You are also free to say, "No thanks." You did not string this guy along. You simply turned him down and it bruised his ego.

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. E-mail 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.