Dear Answer Girl,
Do you write your own questions or what? Sometimes they’re kind of ridiculous.
-Questionable QuestioneerWell, if they’re so ridiculous, then why don’t you write some in? Other than that one, I mean.
Okay, so I think I may have addressed this query last semester, and I know I have given a verbal response countless times to interested readers.
Here it is again: No, I have never written a question for myself. In fact, I actually don’t even accept verbal questions from people for fear that I may re-word them unintentionally. I get all my questions from e-mail (ETSUAnswerGirl@hotmail.com) and from pen on paper. And they are all from people who are not me.
And on that note, I’d just like to take a moment to encourage you, faithful readers, who happen to be people other than me, to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and send me a question of your own.
It can be completely anonymous, and you don’t even have to make up a funny pseudonym – we’ll do it for you. (Incidentally, I don’t make those up either).
And the best part is this next part: You could even be published! Wow!
Just think of what that could do for your resume. Name: Janet Widener. Objective: An internship with a lucrative law firm in preparation for law school.
Extremely Important Accomplishments: Wrote campaign speech for democratic candidate Joe Liebermann; Founded the I Can Do It for Kids Program; Published two questions in the East Tennessean’s very own Answer Girl column. Stop right there! I’ll guarantee that your interviewer will not need to read any further.
As a further added bonus, you’ll sleep much more soundly at night knowing that you have provided me with a means to entertain and educate myself.
How, you may ask? Diligently researching and competently answering your questions, I may answer. It’s almost as good as donating blood or sending money to your favorite charity.
And just a little more on this – as is clear from the … um … diversity of questions that I have tackled, you can ask about anything.
Got cheesy relationship problems? Send them in. Got probing campus-related questions? Send them in. Want to know what’s on your roommate’s mind? Send it in. How about something philosophical? Johnson City-ish? Obscure and slightly uninteresting? Send it in.
I don’t discriminate on the basis of spelling, grammar or content; so don’t worry about any of that. This is your chance to be famous. Don’t pass it up.
Just send those questions to ETSUAnswerGirl@hotmail.com and you just might see them soon in this column.

Answer Girl’s Note: I actually did write this week’s question, but it was in honor of all those who have asked me in person. I also wrote the answer. Thanks.

Author