So many of the things Indian Girl wrote could have come straight from me! My mom basks in praise like nobody else I know, especially if it's about her looks (she looks young for her age). She never worked, loves being the centre of attention, is easily upset and can be competitive with me (especially if it concerns her vanity). She's also petulant like a child whenever somebody says something that she doesn't like. Which is hard as she's not too sensible about her finances. She also lives halfway around the world but comes back to our home town every few months and stays with me.

But my mom also has a kind heart. She'll go on about herself for ages if you let her, but if she sees that someone close to her is unhappy or having troubles she'll try to be there for them. With my problems she's also a bit like a child- she cares, but never knows the right thing to say. But at least I know she'll listen. There's alot of good there (just not every day), and I hope the same can be said for Indian Girl's mom?

It's easy for me to focus on all the daily annoyances, and it's hard when you feel like your mom's parent rather than her child. But that's not all there is. So for my own peace of mind I try to let alot just go by. What does it matter if my mom keeps repeating (all day) how pretty someone said she is, or how mean someone was to her (when they weren't)? And when I disagree with her (which is quite often) I'll express myself, but try to be as pleasant as possible about it. If she's still upset I ignore it, and she gets over it eventually. Even without major arguments she's slowly learned that the sulking doesn't work with me, and that's improved things (but it took a couple of years). Easier said than done, but I care about her, and nobody's perfect. Plus she lives far away.

If the LW is afraid of asking personal questions but likes journalism, there are several other options, such as copy editing (as Cary suggested), trade press or scientific journlism. OK, not nearly as glamorous as working for Hello! or the New York Times, but there are loads of great writing jobs out there that might suit better.

I used to write for a technology magazine, which I first thought might be boring, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I had a great time because I was writing, constantly learning new things, working with a great group of people, and meeting loads of new people. I knew nothing about cororate IT when I first started, but it's surprising how a subject can become alot more interesting once you actually know more about it! Plus I got to go to some great places (like Italy, Spain, Germany) for press trips. Of course, the LW will still have to ask alot of questions, sometimes tough ones, and be able to parse alot of corporate bullshit and spin. But at least the "nosey questions" aren't about someone's private life or deeply personal issues, so there's no fear of writing "moroninc misinterpretations of their lives". So long as one does the proper amount of research, speaks to as many sources as possible, and has a good editor the chances of accidentally ruining someone's life or looking like a complete idiot are slim to nil!

Not all journalism is about politics or people's personal lives.