I just want to let our letter writer know not to despair - this crisis is a wonderful place to begin a new type of life. As a member of a 12-step recovery group, I sit in meetings with people, who like myself, find themselves in their late 30's, 40's 50's and older having to start from scratch.

My husband and I are like that - we got sober in our late 40's and all we had to show for all that time was debt and damage, but I have to say that my life is the best it's ever been now, and I'm heading in on 60. I was almost 50 when I met the love of my life, 53 when we got married and I honestly feel happier and younger than I did at 38, when all I could see was bleak despair, from the window of a crappy apartment. Don't give up on yourself. Focus in on things you enjoy, and start doing them. Don't compare yourself to others. That was one of the best things I learned in recovery... not to compare my insides with other people's outsides. Cary's suggestions are stellar. Take them. Go to Overeaters Anonymous if you can't get a handle on your eating, and work the steps there, and I guarantee, your life will change in every area.

Cheers.

During the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918 the people who fared best were those being treated by homeopathic physicians, who lost very few patients to a flu that was a genuine killer.

Homeopathy is brilliant with flu, any kind or strain. Washington Homeopathic Pharmacy (http://www.homeopathyworks.com/ (I am not affiliated in any way) is an excellent source of information and products that can help a family stay healthy, even if you have no health insurance, at very affordable prices. Oscillococcinum, produced by the Boiron pharmacy is a product available in most drugstores and supermarkets and if taken at the first sign of flu, or even if you think you might have been exposed, can prevent or greatly reduce symptoms.

A wonderful book, if you can find it, is "Who Is Your Doctor And Why?" by Alonzo Shadman. It tells the history of homeopathic medicine in the U.S. and how it was almost wiped out by the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry in the early part of the 20th century, much to the detriment of the country's health care. In most parts of the world, homeopathy is an accepted part of standard medical care, but in the U.S. it has been relegated to the fringes. A real shame. The royal family of England has a homeopathic physician as their primary care giver. Say what you will of them, but they do live a long time, barring accident.

The downside of homeopathy is that it requires you to take responsibility for your own health. Many people really do not want to do that. They want to go to a doctor and be told what to do, and to take some drug, and not have to think about it. I prefer the former, but recognize that it's not for everyone. Another consideration is that most homeopathic remedies are antidoted (stopped in their action) by mint. Many people have taken a remedy at bedtime, right before or after brushing their teeth with a mint toothpaste, and have concluded that homeopathy just doesn't work. So if you are going to use this method of healing, consider a non-mint toothpaste. Most health food stores, and Trader Joe's as well, carry fennel toothpastes that will not interfere with homeopathic remedies.

So - if you decide to forego the flu shots - I personally don't bother with them - and don't have the money or inclination for anti-virals like Tamiflu - you may consider homeopathy as a way to deal with this, and any other outbreak.

Cheers.

Oats, schmoats... he wants to sleep around. People who are 'absolutely in love' do not want to sleep with people other than the one they are absolutely in love with. That's why it's called absolutely in love. This guy is in keep-one-on-the-string-while-he-checks-out-what/who-else-is-out-there mode, while the girl who has given him her heart is in waiting mode. I would advise WM to cut the line and get on with her life. If the guy really is in love, he will find a way to be with her, and not mess with her head like this. Go see He's Just Not That Into You. For a silly chick flick it has some real solid info.

do both? I'm with Cary here. Look, I used to live in Reno, Nevada, hardly a hotbed of theatrical opportunities, but there are a few little theatre companies that keep on putting stuff out. But a woman who worked for me in my store had theatre dreams, so while working for me she also co-founded the Nevada Shakespeare Festival, which ended up being a real creative force in the community. She didn't just act, she also directed plays, and wrote a play that ended up being produced as a movie, which she starred in. In other words, she created her reality and instead of moving somewhere, she brought it into the place she was living. There is no reason you have to move to New York or LA to follow your dream. Why not start your own theatre company where you are now, put on plays, take theatre into the schools, apply for grants, have fun! Good luck.