I’m a recently divorced 40-something woman, now dating again, and I’m wondering what the guidelines are on how long to wait to have sex. I’m not interested in casual sex, but I have a healthy libido. If I’m really attracted to a man, I’ll be dealing with some powerful mixed (internal) signals regarding how long […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Injured, he helps others with brain injuries
William “Bill” Shea’s wheelchair sits in the corner of his basement. It is both a reminder of the past and a foreshadowing of the future. At 59, Shea embodies the qualities of an Olympian. He is physically fit, resilient and determined. This has not always been the case. As a child, Shea struggled with respiratory […]
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Lard of the Dance
When I got married, I was a slim 6 feet 2, but I’ve gained a lot of weight. My wife gained about 20 pounds but recently lost that and more. I’ve been as high as 265, but I’m now at 238 and losing about a pound a week, which isn’t fast enough for my wife. […]
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The spinster cycle
I’m a 32-year-old woman with a Ph.D. I’m beyond happy with my career path, but I’m not meeting men I’m impressed with or inspired to see again. A girlfriend sent me a New York Times op-ed by a historian named Stephanie Coontz, who said that highly educated women can find a man if they drop […]
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Have a peasant day
Your answer to “Roseless,” the woman bemoaning her boyfriend’s lack of “romantic ambition,” hit a nerve with me. My wife of 19 years and I shared equally in raising our three children. She only sort of “works” now, but I do the home chores and all the cooking — while running a very stressful business […]
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African-American history museum opens with photo exhibit
The Springfield Illinois African-American History Foundation’s museum opens its first exhibition tonight, Feb. 23, capping 14 years of work. The exhibition will feature photographs by Eddie Winfred “Doc” Helms, a well-known Springfield African-American who was a photographer for Illinois secretaries of state for 58 years. In his spare time, Helms photographed local events, especially those […]
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Looking for The Gaia next door
I’m an Occupy girl, age 45, into eco-shamanism and planetary consciousness stuff. I’ve mostly dated engineers with a playful side who initially seemed open to my interests but quickly became resentful of them. My boyfriend of two years is different – easygoing and willing to expand his horizons. He actually reads the articles I post […]
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Dim and her
I’m having a whirlwind romance with a man I met online on Thanksgiving. I moved across the country to live with him on Dec. 20, and we’re now building a life together. The problem is I have a high IQ (137), and he’s very unintelligent and illogical. It’s hard to have a good conversation unless […]
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World Wide Web of lies
Why do men OFFER (as in, announce unasked) that they aren’t dating anyone when that’s a lie? I’m a busy 30-something woman, meeting men almost exclusively online. A guy will often tell me right away (on the first date) that he isn’t seeing anyone. I stumble on the truth by accident on Facebook and what-have-you, […]
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Baby, I need your oven
I love good food and wine, but I hate cooking and I’m bad at it. When you’re dating, it seems like you’re supposed to cook your partner dinner at a certain point, especially if you’re a woman. I think I’m at that point now, and I’m considering setting a nice table and ordering takeout. Will […]
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The man behind Sears’ success got his start here
Springfield is known as the home of Abraham Lincoln, but a man from Lincoln’s neighborhood gets short shrift in our city’s legacy. Julius Rosenwald was born a block from Lincoln’s home in 1862 (where the Lincoln Home’s main parking lot is now) and became one of America’s greatest businessmen and philanthropists of the 20th century. […]
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Help and hope for autism
When Teresa Paul’s son, Sean, was born, she dreamed of the day when he would graduate from college, get married and have children of his own. Like many new moms, she was excited to take her baby home, and she looked forward to watching Sean grow and reach developmental milestones, such as sitting up alone, […]
