DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Like my mother, I am terrified of flying. As a kid, we only took car trips and one cruise because of how my mother was about flying.

So far I have been able to get away without flying more than a very few times, like when my father was critically ill, and then later when I had to get home fast for his funeral when he died. I was already miserable over those circumstances, so between having my wife with me for the trips, and all the emotions connected with my father’s illness and death, I managed to get on those planes.

Now it is a different situation. Reductions at work have meant many of us have had to take on the responsibilities of now gone coworkers. In my case, my supervisor has told me starting this autumn I will be expected to expand the territory I am responsible for covering to include areas I can either take at least a day or two to drive to, or rather hop a flight to.

The former is not the preferred option, since that means lost time, which means a potential drop in the company’s revenues.

So, the long and the short of it is I am afraid I am going to have to tell my supervisor about my fear, and risk having it adversely affect my job, which is something I cannot really afford to do. My company has been generous in compensating those of us still onboard, and my wife and I have based much on that income level.

Am I being unreasonable if I give in to my fear, and do you believe I need to tell my supervisor about it? --- NOT A FAN OF FLYING

DEAR NOT A FAN OF FLYING: While I don’t share your fear of flying, like many people, I too know what it’s like to deal with a phobia, and how hard it is to get past what causes you anxiety.

I’ve had some success in fighting my fear by challenging it. In your case, you’ve proven to yourself that when you had to do it, you were able to get onto a plane.

Reminding yourself of your prior successes against your fear, albeit during difficult times, could prove a useful tool for you to use when it comes to your work travel.

It might also be well worth your while to investigate either proven therapies or short-term medications that can enable you to travel with less stress.

I’d give those options a try before sharing a major potential career limitation with your supervisor. If you’re able to at least start managing your fear of flying, you’ll be able to get where the company needs you to be, and no one at work will perhaps be the wiser.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My little sister was with her first boyfriend for a long time, I think it was like three years, maybe four. They were a good couple, but he wanted to get married and move with my sister to Australia, where he had family connections and the offer of a fantastic job. My sister wasn’t ready to get married, and she is so tight with our family and her friends here that a separation from them would have been more than she thought she could handle.

So about two months ago she started seeing this new guy she met on Tinder. At first she was scared to try looking there, but enough of her friends talked her into it.

I only met the guy once, and he seemed okay, maybe a little quiet, but that was I figured because he didn’t know me and the rest of the family that was over when he came to pick my sister up for dinner.

This is only the second guy my sister has been with, and she told me the other day that he was asking her to do some weird stuff in bed that she just is no way near comfortable doing.

I put on my big sister pants and told her then either dump the guy or just say, “no” to anything that creeps her out.

She seems to like this guy, except for the weird sex stuff and said for all she knows a lot of guys are into this stuff and she would just run into it again if she started up with someone new.

I didn’t get around a whole lot before my husband and I met, but I was with a few guys, not one single one of which ever asked me to do anything in bed I was uncomfortable with.

I think this guy my sister is with is trouble waiting to happen.

How far do I push my worries with her, or do I just let her learn on her own? --- WORRIED FOR LITTLE SIS

DEAR WORRIED FOR LITTLE SIS: That your sister raised the subject with you implies to me she’s second-guessing her feelings towards at least the sexual portion of her new relationship.

I would continue to remind her about the importance of respecting herself and requiring the same from anyone she’s involved with.

Also, by continuing to let her know you’re there for her to talk to, you’re providing a safety net should things ever get to the point of her needing some help, guidance, or protection.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I can’t believe how my girlfriend puts up with the nutjob she shares her apartment with.

This woman will corner you and talk for hours about her insane conspiracy theories. At least they change up from time to time. Her latest started getting bad when King Charles got crowned. She is totally and completely convinced he had Princess Diana murdered so he could marry Camilla. I was a little kid when she died, and I remember it because when my mother heard Princess Diana wasn’t wearing a seatbelt she started using that as a way to make sure we all strapped in so we didn’t die like Princess Diana.

I am getting to the point where I don’t want to hang around my girlfriend’s place. That makes it harder for us to spend time together because I live in an even more complicated living situation.

How do I get this woman to stop running her mouth about things she knows absolutely nothing about? --- MAKE HER STOP

DEAR MAKE HER STOP: I know generally perfectly rational people who embrace their own perception of reality on certain topics. There’s the case of the bright, articulate young man, for instance, who would bet his life’s savings on the moon landing being a hoax.

Often little can be done to make a true believer doubt their faith. Perhaps, though, you might try beating the roommate at her own game as a way to temporarily shut down the rants by introducing subjects that she has no knowledge of, allowing you to have a turn at monopolizing the conversation the same way she does.

If the tactic works, she may grow tired of your tirades and find other ways to spend her time when you’re visiting your girlfriend’s apartment.