Dear Abby: Hubby talks, but not so wife can hear

Dear Abby My husband and I have been amicably married for years We enjoy each other s company and are home together a lot However over the last year or so I have had an increasingly hard time hearing what he s saying He sits in his chair and mumbles to the point where I can t tell if he s talking to me or to himself He also tries to talk to me from the next room with his back to me or when I have the sink running No matter how a great number of times or different avenues I ask him to speak up he doesn t do it He says he doesn t like shouting at me and that other people can hear him I had my hearing checked by an audiologist and it s fine no change from when I was younger But he still won t speak up I m so annoyed the bulk of the time that I ignore him unless we re in the same room and facing each other Then he gets grumpy with me for not responding or not knowing things he disclosed he stated me How can I get him to understand that it doesn t matter how loud he thinks he should talk if I can t hear him I can t hear him Out of Range in Illinois Dear Out You have reported your husband that unless he gets out of his easy chair and talks directly to you that you can t understand what he s saying Perhaps if he tried what you are suggesting it would be less frustrating for HIM That he would refuse to cooperate without trying is inconsiderate Could he be losing it or is HE having trouble hearing when you talk to him Whatever the cause of your communication issue you may need your hearing rechecked If you are informed again that it s fine consult a mediator to get the message across to him Dear Abby I m a -year-old guy who has a younger female friend Kim who lives out of state I care for her very much although not romantically My concern is I ve allowed trauma caused by a previous relationship to negatively impact my friendships now I was cheated on and have trust issues This caused a lot of problems with my out-of-state friend We used to live near each other but I moved away Kim and I aren t speaking right now and sometimes I wonder if she ll ever talk to me again This has had an impact on other friendships as well I want to stop letting this affect my relationships and make amends with my friends especially Kim What would be the best way to do this Wounded in Wyoming Dear Wounded Talking with a licensed mental vitality professional might help you become less defensive so you don t drive more people away For former friends who haven t blocked your calls or emails an honest explanation and a sincere apology might be the way to mend fences As for Kim you may be able to reopen the lines of communication by writing her a letter telling her how much you miss her friendship and conveying a similar message Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren also known as Jeanne Phillips and was founded by her mother Pauline Phillips Contact Dear Abby at www DearAbby com or P O Box Los Angeles CA