DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 and need your advice. I would really like to become an actress, but I don't know how to get started. I really do think that I have a lot of natural acting ability, and I want to prove it to the world. I know a movie director won't "discover" me, so how do I go about getting started? I don't want to wait forever for a chance. — Celeste, Coral Gables, Fla.
CELESTE: You need acting experience. Whenever you get a chance to perform before an audience, do so. Get involved in drama at school, and find out if your community has a drama group. If you can dance, sing or play a musical instrument, it will enhance your chances of being "noticed." And don't forget to study. Acting requires lots of brainpower!
START DATING SOMEONE ELSE
DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and used to have the sweetest boyfriend a girl could ever wish for. We did everything together and shared all of our innermost secrets.
About a month ago he started to act strangely, and then about two weeks ago he started ignoring me entirely. He used to call me every night. But now I have to get on my knees and beg him to call me back. And usually he doesn't.
Finally, I got him to call me, and he told me he is seeing another girl. I am heartbroken. What should I do? — Confused, Wheaton, Ill.
CONFUSED: No boy is worth getting on your knees and begging. The fastest way to forget this guy is to start dating another one. Do not sit at home and mope. If you don't want to date just yet, get active in your community, religious and/or school activities. And don't forget participating in regular outings with your girlfriends too. You will eventually find someone more consistent and mature who likes you.
IS POWERBALL GAMBLING?
DR. WALLACE: Do you consider playing any kind of lottery to be gambling? My buddies and I like to play the Powerball lottery. It's exciting, and you could win millions of dollars. I spend about $5 a week on the lottery and so does my friend. My dad doesn't care that I play, but he says if I win, I've got to give him half of my winnings.
My friend's parents are upset at us and think we're going to get addicted to the lottery and wind up as destitute gamblers. All we're doing is buying a few lottery tickets weekly. It's not as if we were going to Las Vegas and losing the house, the car and the family business on slot machines. Give me your honest opinion. Both my friend and I are 18 years old. — Powerballer, Charlotte, N.C.
POWERBALLER: I'm well-aware that millions of Americans play various forms of the lottery. The profits earned by the states go to benefit its citizens, but the bottom line is that buying a lottery ticket is a form of gambling, and gambling can become highly addictive. I'm not saying that you'll become addicted to gambling, but according to the Council on Compulsive Gambling, lottery gamblers make up 47 percent of all gambling hotline calls. Don't say you weren't warned!
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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