Re: Dear Abby: 11-year-old 'Lacey'

Nevertheless, regardless of whether this man is married or not, what he is doing isn't very wise in today's day and age. It's sad that intergenerational friendships and flirtations are so demonized, but this man is asking for trouble, especially if his friendship with Lacey is causing other adults in the neighborhood to start to "talk" behind their backs about it.

It could be argued that it is not wise to submit completely to society's restriction on intergenerational friendships. That only legitimises and strengthens the restriction, making it harder for those who come after to resist it, and making those who do resist it look all the more abnormal.

To make society a saner place in which to live, we need to normalise intergenerational friendships. To do that, we need to encourage those intergenerational friendships that do exist, and praise those individuals who succeed in forming such friendships in such a hostile climate. If such friendships are declared "unwise" even by us, then there really is no hope for the future.

Mr. Crab