Dear Amy:

I want to ask you for help in a problem that I have had since a couple of years ago. I was talking with my friends, we were spending a nice time because it was Friday, we had already finished our school work and we didn´t have anything else to do but talking. We were telling jokes and making fun of some of our classmates. I said something funny about one guy I didn´t like and everybody laughed, but suddenly all my partners shut up. The guy was beside me, and he was furious. He is known because he gets angry quickly and easily. I tried to apologize for my comment but he refused to hear anything, he started to insult me and I think he really wanted to beat me but there were a lot of people and he just disappeared.

Since then, there has been a much stressed situation between him and me. Unfortunately, we are almost in the same classes and live in the same town; we have a very similar life. Since that day he hasn´t stopped menacing me every time our ways cross, he doesn´t stop saying that the time is getting nearer. I know he hates me and I don´t know if some day his hate for me will crystallize in some kind of macabre action. He is a lonely and quiet person, but hides a great pain and a great anger; I can perceive that in him.

I know I was stupid by telling that joke about him, I´d rather never say a word against him or anybody just to laugh for a moment, but now I can´t talk with him, he doesn´t want to reason with me or accept my apologize. What do you recommend me to do? I will appreciate your help. Thank you.

Sportsmen and sportswomen are paid far more than they deserve

Every day, millions of people wake up early and go to work hard to feed their families. They work to bring a benefit for society. On the other hand, there are the famous sportsmen and sportswomen. All of them look for options to reach their goals . They are talented and they make a really big effort to reach their positions but, do they deserve millions and millions of dollars just for playing a game? Why must entertainment be so expensive? Do they work harder than us?

Perhaps, to solve the problem, we must think first about what are our criteria to value a person´s job. If we focus on how much money these sportspeople are able to produce by filling stadiums or appearing on TV commercials, perhaps it is fair to think that they must earn such quantity of money. But if we ponder the benefit for society with their activities, I think that we shouldn´t spend too much money on sports.

I personally think that it is a very unfair situation that some people earn in one hour more money than others working hard in their whole life. Sportspeople earn that money just for playing games in a grass field, kicking or throwing balls, running or jumping, what do we want it for? Do we really need to see other people playing stunts? Why can´t they do a more productive activity?

We must consider that the power and money of that people is the power and money that we let them have. It is the common people who fill stadiums, spending their money on sports. Since we are free to decide how to use our money, the decision about if sportspeople are paid far more than they deserve depends on each one of us.

My score: 15