Hey, Cherie!

I must not be the only girl in America whose father is an old hippie, but I might be the one whose old hippie father is the most embarrassing. I am a senior in high school and am a good girl. I have an after-school job at a bookstore, receive good grades and dress normal. I don't drink or take drugs, and definitely believe in keeping my clothes on, even at concerts.

My dad, though, is almost too mortifying for me to introduce to anyone. He looks like the man on the paperback cover of the novel "The Giver," with a huge beard and long hair. He loves the color purple; he wears purple shirts every day and matches them with purple socks. You might ask what he does, but he has a good job as a college professor in the computer science department. He was one of the first people to work with an old operating system called DOS — I don't even know what it does.

My mom is a normal person who teaches sixth grade. I don't know how she can put up with my crazy dad who listens to the Grateful Dead all the time, and I don't know if I can either.

— Hippied to Death, Almost

Hey, Hippied!

Here's something to look forward to: One day, your children will look up to you and find you excruciating. Well, maybe not. There might be something unique about a father who looks like he stepped off the cover of Lois Lowry's most popular novel.

Now, computer science guys tend to be a breed apart, anyway. But without them, we wouldn't have Windows, a Mac operating system or even Linux; they've done a lot to change our planet. If some of them are into purple with purple, or wear brown socks with a black suit because the brown matches their hair, cut them a little slack.

But here's the however. Your humble columnist does believe in a modicum of decorum. If one is going to church, synagogue or another religious entity, or to a graduation, or, God forbid, a funeral, there's nothing individuality crushing about wearing appropriate clothing that will make others comfortable. I hope your father understands that, but I'm guessing he does.

As for his taste in the Grateful Dead, it could be worst. He could be into ... No, I'll stop there. My 10th-grade son could get very mad at what I was about to write.

Hey, Cherie!

My parents are making me go to a counselor because of something stupid that I did on the Internet, which I don't want to say. I hate this guy and I've seen him 10 times. Do I have to keep seeing him?

— Stuck in Counseling

Hey, Stuck!

You do have to keep going, but maybe you don't have to keep talking to this guy that you hate. There are plenty of therapists out there, and anyone worth his/her degree will tell you that the fit has to be right in order for the counseling to work.

I'd talk to your folks about making a switch. Disliking your therapist is not the best way to build a productive alliance, especially after 10 sessions.

Cherie Bennett is a best-selling author of books for teens and young adults. Visit her website at www.cheriebennett.com. To find out more about Cherie Bennett and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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