Harriette Cole: I met this guy on an app, and all of a sudden I’m running into him at work

DEAR HARRIETTE I in recent times matched with someone on a dating app and after chatting for a bit we realized we work at the same company Related Articles Harriette Cole Is it a red flag that he follows his ex and likes her posts Harriette Cole My neighbor is leaving me unsettling notes Harriette Cole Should I tell the bride why I m uneasy Harriette Cole My neighbor s bossiness about parking has gotten out of hand Harriette Cole My boss follows my social media and I don t know what to do It s a huge organization so we had never crossed paths before until of subject we suddenly started running into each other in the office after matching We never acknowledged it directly and since then things have felt a little awkward It s not like anything inappropriate happened between us We just exchanged a scant friendly messages before things fizzled out but now every hallway run-in feels tense I can t tell if he s pretending it never happened or if he s just as unsure as I am about how to act Part of me wants to laugh it off and break the ice but another part worries that it might make things even weirder I ve caught myself overthinking what to say when I see him and wondering if other co-workers have picked up on the tension It s gotten to the point where I sometimes take a different way to avoid the awkwardness altogether Should I bring it up to clear the air or just keep acting like nothing happened and hope the awkwardness fades on its own Unmatched DEAR UNMATCHED Be the adult in the room Next time you see this man walk up to him and discreetly address the obvious You can start with humor Yes it is uncanny that the two of you would meet online and end up working in the same place but it doesn t need to be awkward You didn t end up hooking up It was innocent enough and now it s over Agree to stop dodging each other in the building be cordial and move on DEAR HARRIETTE This year has been stressful for me I lost my job and have used the greater part of my savings just to survive I haven t talked about my situation much at all It s frustrating enough to live it without the embarrassment of admitting that at years old my great career ended because of no fault of my own I suddenly became seen as a DEI hire even though my job had nothing to do with diversity I feel deflated and scared I ve been looking for work but can t find anything and I m worried about what to do next Lost DEAR LOST Sadly there are hundreds of thousands of well-credentialed hardworking people like you in this country who are in recent times out of work with seemingly nowhere to turn Now is the time to talk to your friends and reach out to organizations that may be able to help you With friends band together and help each other first by revealing your situation and then asking for help Related Articles Miss Manners I refuse to be part of their Christmas list ritual Dear Abby The DNA test proves me right but my sister keeps spreading these lies Asking Eric My husband died my house burned down and still this horrible woman shuns me Harriette Cole Is it a red flag that he follows his ex and likes her posts Miss Manners Is it rude to talk on one s phone in a citizens place Particular people have formed meal collectives where they cook together and share the expenses of food Others help with babysitting Still others have provided shelter for newly unhoused former professionals On a different level reach out to human rights organizations for help The ACLU for example is looking to backing people who feel they were wrongly dismissed Drop the shame and speak up for yourself Telling your story may be the way to save yourself and others like you Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams You can send questions to askharriette harriettecole com or c o Andrews McMeel Syndication Walnut St Kansas City MO