DR. WALLACE: I've been watching wrestling since I was 11 years old, which was over four years ago. My dad and I watch it together. It's really fun! It's strange watching some of the matches now with no audience due to COVID-19, but we still like the entertainment.

I want to be a wrestler when I grow up. It looks like it would be a great job to have. And maybe I can bulk up some day and end up on TV like my favorite wrestler, Orange Cassidy.

My brother thinks that I'm a total dork and that I could never be a professional wrestler since I'm not very tall. — Pro Wrestling Fan, via email

PRO WRESTLING FAN: You can make it happen no matter what size you start out at, but like almost all professions in the entertainment world, it takes a lot of hard work, fortitude and a big break to get your foot in the door.

Based on your passionate letter, I say that, at this point, you do have a lot of passion for this sport. My advice is to enjoy the sport as a fan for now and see what you think as you get older, when you'll be looking at career opportunities in a new light.

And consider this: It might just be easier to get into Major League Baseball than it is to get signed on with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.! First, you would need to join a wrestling school and learn to become a wrestler. Next, you'd have to learn to create your own persona in order to develop a theme that might be interesting to the masses. Once you're ready to compete, you'd need to move to Florida to see about getting that big break.

Finally, as with all professional sports, you'd need to stay in peak physical condition and take very good care of your body in terms of strength, physique and nutrition. It can be done, but only a select few possess the dedication, physique and opportunities to make this profession a career!

I'M OLD ENOUGH TO DO BOTH

DR. WALLACE: I'm a teenager and have a boyfriend. We love each other very much, and we have a sexual relationship. He is not my first boyfriend, but he is the first guy I've had sex with. I'm only three months from turning 18, so I kind of feel like I'm already an adult, especially since I'm known for being very mature for my age.

The problem is I told my older sister that we were having sex, and she told my mom. Of course, my mom is not happy with me and is worried that I'll get a sexually transmitted disease or get pregnant. We always use protection, so neither of those things will happen. I do admit that this guy does not mean all that much to me and that I'll probably move on from him when I graduate high school, but for now, he keeps me from becoming too bored.

My mom wants me to break up with my boyfriend and spend all my time concentrating on school so I can go to college. How can I convince my mom that I can do both? — Nearly an Adult, via email

NEARLY AN ADULT: You're not an adult quite yet, and I don't believe it's in your best interest to continue a sexual relationship when you're still in high school.

I do side with your mother on this issue. Yes, you are on the verge of becoming an adult in the eyes of the law, but you still have a lot of growing up to do, especially mentally and emotionally, as all young women and men of your age do. Trust me, you'll think about yourself and your life differently in as little as another year or two — and then you'll evolve again further another year or two after that.

For this reason, I always advise teens in high school to take life a bit more slowly and to grow into themselves during the very important maturing years between 17 and 23. There will be a lifetime for you to explore many wonderful things in your life, so take things slowly and steadily as you enter the next few years of your life. If you do, your future self will not only thank you but also be proud of you.

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.

Photo credit: 12019 at Pixabay