Opinion

Dear Annie: Last year, a friend of 50 years and I were talking about flying to Canada to meet for a trip. Prior to making any plans, I researched and found that the mask requirements were still in place for Canada. Although I have always adhered to the requirements and am fully vaccinated, I didn’t feel comfortable having to wear a mask for such a long trip. I am already a nervous flyer due to inner ear issues, and I felt this would cause a lot of anxiety. I said I would pass but she and the other friend involved should proceed without me.

Employees unhappy over orders to return to the office are evidently tearing their garments with grief. But they may need the garments to keep their current employment, and we’re not talking about pajamas.

WASHINGTON -- I always used to purchase Gillette shaving products. Gillette made products that appealed to me. When I was a boy, Gillette advertised the Friday night boxing matches. That was enough inducement for me. Perhaps Gillette also advertised the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, too, and shows about outdoor life such as hunting and fishing. Yet, I quit them several years ago, when I made an astonishing discovery.

Mike Pence is trailing former President Donald Trump by some 50 points in national polling. It’s no great revelation that the former vice president needs some major breakthroughs to be considered a serious and viable candidate for 2024.

Dear Annie: My son, who is now 50 years old, cannot get his life in order. When he was a younger child, he learned how to play the mother- against-the-father game to get what he wanted; the mother always gave in, and this did not sit well with me. His mother, who I am no longer married to, has always been an enabler and still is to this day.

WASHINGTON -- We lost the war on women, ever since the days of groovy Gloria Steinem as the leader of a mass social movement. Steinem is still groovy in her 80s, but there’s no succession on passing the torch.

Today is the 173rd day of 2023 and the second day of summer. TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1815, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated his throne for the second time.

A Good Speech Is a Terrible Thing to Waste I wasn’t invited to give a graduation speech this spring. Still, I was prepared, and since a good speech is a terrible thing to waste, I offer it to you now.

Dear Annie: I live in a nice neighborhood in a modest-sized city. This is a dog-rich environment, with most of my neighbors owning and frequently walking their dogs. I have two, which flourish in my yard, and we rarely walk.