Feelings

Dear Katy, Every time I try to talk to my boyfriend about something important, he always shuts me out. He never wants to talk about anything serious because he says everything is fine the way it is. He won't talk about his feelings at all, and it's really starting to cause a problem in our relationship. I want him to let me in, but he won't. He says I can't get him to change because that's just the way he is. What can I do? - Feeling Shut Out cont. from lifestyle Dear Feeling Shut Out, Your boyfriend is right.

In five to seven sentences, write about what you'd like to be when you grow up. At some point in our grade-school years, we've probably all been given this assignment in one form or another. And what did we do? We picked a profession, wrote about why we'd like to have that job and how our interests would lead us into that line of work. Most people identify themselves with what they do, not who they are. True to our cultural outlook, my third-graders recently followed suit.

Hugh and Barbara Baker, left, and Rey Rodriguez, right, all of Letterkenny Township, wear their feelings about the proposed ethanol plant in Franklin County, Pa., on their T-shirts during Tuesday's public hearing.

A letter to the editor written by Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II in support of a political candidate raised the ire of Councilwoman Penny Nigh, who discussed it during the City Council meeting Tuesday. "That was one of the most hurtful letters," Nigh told the mayor during the meeting. She said she felt it was inappropriate that Bruchey included with his signature his title of mayor, saying it made the entire Council look bad. The letter ran in the Saturday, Nov. 4, edition of The Herald-Mail.

Here we are inside the computer war room of the Bowl Championship Series office in Neverland USA: Human: Congratulations to the University of Southern California on its No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 and USA/ESPN Top 25. Computer: We don't feel USC is No. 1. Human: I can't believe Oklahoma waited until the last week of the season to look so terrible. Computer: We feel they are still No. 1. Human: Louisiana State put a pretty good whippin' on Georgia, didn't they?

CLEAR SPRING - Hannah Smith isn't at a loss for words. The Clear Spring Middle School sixth-grader was named statewide Reserve Champion for the 4-H Public Speaking Contest held in June at the University of Maryland College Park. "I thought public speaking would help me out now and in the future," said Hannah, 11. "I've found confidence in myself. " She advanced to the state level of competition after winning at county and regional levels, she said. Hannah placed second out of nine competitors in the junior category with a speech titled "Voting - Why It's Important," which she wrote and delivered.

Losing a job or income affects all members of the family. Parents become so preoccupied they forget that tough times have an emotional as well as a financial impact on their children. Children depend on their parents for emotional security. When parents are tense, upset and inattentive, much of this security is gone. Talk about financial impacts Reduced income can mean sudden lifestyle changes for the entire family. There's less money to spend, so decisions must be made on how to spend what's there.

School's out for summer and we can almost hear the children cheering ... at least for now. After the initial euphoria wears off and a lack of projects leads to boredom, those glad smiles can turn into sad, lonely faces. How can a parent prevent this from happening? Try some Blues Busters. Not tunes leftover from last week's Western Maryland Blues Fest, but suggestions to help kids lift their own spirits. Dr. James J. Crist provides some suggestions in his book, "What to Do When You're Sad and Lonely: A Guide for Kids.

megp@herald-mail.com The gifts are unwrapped, the guests are gone and the silence of winter sets in. Such is the pattern every year as the holiday season comes to a close. Feelings of disappointment or sadness may set in for a while as the humdrum routine resumes. You're not alone if you feel moody, fatigued, sad or lonely. "A little of that is expected after the holidays," said Barbara Ehrenberg, a licensed independent clinical social worker with A Brighter Tomorrow LLC Counseling Center in Martinsburg, W.Va.

The symptoms are silent, but the diagnosis of breast cancer can sound deafening to those who hear it. Once the words "You have breast cancer" are absorbed by the patient and his or her loved ones, quiet might set in again. Despite the prevalence of breast cancer and all the information available about it, many people still want it to remain a "hush-hush" disease, said Lou Lichti, Ph.D., a psychologist with City Park Psychological Services & Associates LLC in Hagerstown. In order for the patient to move forward physically and emotionally, however, Lichti said the silence must be broken.

One thing Ed Grimes hates about his current work schedule is trying to explain it to others. “It's confusing,” he said. Since being laid off in 2009 after nearly four decades at Hagerstown's Noland Company, the 61-year-old Funkstown man has been jockeying between jobs at two stores and one school or another around the county, while piecing things back together financially. Yet Grimes, like some other area victims of the recession, feels lucky to be working now, especially considering how tough the economy has been.

Zach Lucas will celebrate his 19th birthday today. It's a birthday that he hopes will be one of many, many more in his life - a life he nearly lost. A freshman at Salisbury University and a former baseball star at Williamsport High School, Lucas never expected to experience his own brush with death at such a young age. Lucas and his teammates were at the pitcher's mound shaking hands with Virginia Wesleyan players following their season opener on Feb. 12. Suddenly, Lucas dropped to the ground and lost consciousness.

Leslie LeBlanc of Hagerstown, who has family living in Massachusetts, said she could not reach her niece, who lives in Boston, for several hours after the Monday explosions during the Boston Marathon that left three people dead and scores injured. “That was a real source of concern for us,” she said Tuesday. LeBlanc, 55, described the explosions as “disconcerting,” but said she does not feel any less safe because of them, nor is she worried about something happening in Hagerstown or to her family in Massachusetts.

Boonsboro coach Becky Walter never will forget the ride home from the Maryland state cross country meet last fall after her Warriors had swept the boys and girls Class 1A team titles. “Just the excitement on the bus,” she said. “We'd definitely like to repeat that feeling again.” Walter and the Warriors will get their chance to repeat the experience Monday at the state indoor track and field championships at Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover. The Boonsboro girls will try to win their second straight indoor state title, while the Boonsboro boys will aim to improve on last winter's second-place finish to Smithsburg.

Today is Valentine's Day. Love will be celebrated far and wide. And the Maryland Symphony Orchestra invites you to feel the love this weekend at The Maryland Theatre. The MSO will pay homage to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during its 31st season's third masterworks concert, "For the Love of Mozart. " The program includes Frank Martin's Ouverture en hommage à Mozart, Robert Schumann's "Carnaval," Op. 9 and Symphony No. 4 in D minor and Mozart's Concerto for Piano No. 27 in B-flat Major.

Washington County Emergency Service Director Kevin Lewis said he was “somewhat surprised,” but not totally shocked by the County Commissioners decision Tuesday to no longer recognize the Fairplay Volunteer Fire Co. Dale Hill, president of the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, said he was concerned the commissioners “totally disregarded” recommendations from a task force the commissioners put in place last summer to...

Scott Gordon, owner of River City Cycles, a bicycle shop in Williamsport, still has a picture of Lance Armstrong on his wall, and despite the cyclist's recent confession that he used performance-enhancing drugs, Gordon has no plans to take it down. “I don't condone his drug use, but I still admire his work ethic,” he said. “Even if you take steroids, you can't sit on your couch for six weeks and then race. You still have to work hard.” Gordon, however, did not defend Armstrong's character, showing very mixed feelings about the situation.

Thursday wasn't anything like a deja vu moment for Tripp Keister. It was the real thing. Keister knew he had entered Municipal Stadium before. It was because he had. That was in 1993 when he was playing for the Capital City Bombers against the Hagerstown Suns. Now, Keister will not only be revisiting the staid old stadium. This year, he will be taking up residence there. Keister has been promoted up the Washington Nationals system as the new manager of the Suns, coming in to guide the next wave of prospects after a very successful 2012 season.

Christmas trees, twinkling lights, mistletoe, candy canes and stockings hung with care - all are traditions of the December holiday season. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra has its own holiday tradition. “Home for the Holidays,” the MSO's 25th annual Christmas concert, will celebrate the season at The Maryland Theatre this weekend. There are traditions within that tradition. The concert is an opportunity to showcase the talent and dedication of our community's musicians, of all ages, in a musical celebration of the season, Music Director Elizabeth Schulze wrote in an email.

As more stores begin to open on Thanksgiving instead of Black Friday, the rush that comes with the day after the holiday might not be there for everybody. “Thanksgiving is for being with family, and it's taking away from that special holiday,” said Keira Solanki, of Hagerstown. “5 a.m. Friday is the earliest I'd go out now. When my son was little, I used to get up real early like 3 or 4, but I'm usually away Thanksgiving.” Brenda Warrenfeltz, however, said she has gone to Kmart on Thanksgiving Day in the past and would be willing to go shopping as early as 4 p.m. that afternoon.