Am I out of line...

I got into a bit of a blowout with my mother-in-law after I asked my husband to run to the store and grab me some tampons last night. Personally, I didn’t think it was a big deal, and neither did he.

I’m 38, single, and I’ve built a life that looks pretty good on paper...

I never really wanted the white-picket-fence life, but now I’m wondering if I skipped too many chapters.

Is my hygiene routine...

My fiancé is super particular about cleanliness; he showers daily, sometimes even twice. Meanwhile, I tend to shower every other day and wash my hair every 3–4 days.

What do most people misunderstand about getting older?

Most young people think that getting older is a decline. It isn’t. It’s a refinement. We’re sold a narrative that aging means becoming less relevant, less desirable, less capable. In reality, what diminishes is tolerance for nonsense, for misaligned relationships, for chasing approval.

I was a research scientist...

Dear Uncle Gary, I was a research scientist at a major pharmaceutical company until I got laid off. My wife is an attorney at a top law firm, and she’s doing very well. When the layoff happened, we talked it through and agreed I’d stay home with the

I was laid off last month...

Dear Uncle Gary, I was laid off last month from my job as a university administrator. I didn’t tell my wife right away because I truly believed I’d find something quickly and then explain it once I had good news to soften the blow. But here we are,

I’m a 65-year-old woman...

Dear Uncle Gary, I’m a 65-year-old woman who’s been divorced for over a decade. I raised two kids, built a career, and now I’m retired with a little house, a garden I love, and more quiet than I know what to do with. Here’s the thing.

I feel this weird mix of joy and jealousy.

Dear Uncle Gary, My best friend just got engaged, and I am genuinely happy for her. But every time I hear her talk about the wedding, I feel this weird mix of joy and jealousy. I am single, I have not been on a real date in over a year,

I recently started dating a guy...

Dear Uncle Gary, I recently started dating a guy who’s sweet, smart, and has the kind of jawline that could slice deli meat. But here’s the thing: he claps when the plane lands. Every time. Loudly. With enthusiasm. I tried to ignore it, but last week he stood

I just started an amazing job...

Dear Uncle Gary, I just started an amazing job as an assistant to a very successful hairstylist in Newport Beach. He’s super busy, well-known, and I was thrilled to be hired. About a month in, he asked me out. I froze. A few days earlier, he’d asked if

Dear Uncle Gary, I met my wife when I was 18....

Dear Uncle Gary,  I met my wife when I was 18, married her at 24, and we had our daughter at 25. Life felt full, with good careers, a happy kid, and what I thought was a strong marriage. But at 35, my wife told me she wasn’t happy.

I'm recently out of a twelve-year relationship.

I'm recently out of a twelve-year relationship. I'm a fifty-five-year-old gay man, and I don't know where to start. I used to have a nice body. I think I'm still good-looking, but when I go out with friends, I never meet anyone. Everybody is so young.