Hey guys. I’m Truman. They gave me an advice column. 

People sent a lot of good questions via the Ask Truman google form (linked below), and the Lasso’s Instagram story (props to Sam Mostow), so I tried to answer all of them. I tried my best.

Truman, toast or oatmeal for breakfast? I can’t decide! – perturbed paul

Hey Paul. Oatmeal is disgusting. That’s all I have to say. 

Opinion on people having to put up cameras for a grade? – Catertot_j

Hey there. I personally am against having to put up cameras for a grade. There are plenty of other ways to ensure student engagement, such as verbal attendance or updating your status icon. While I can see the value of seeing the faces of students you are teaching, it definitely should not be part of your grade.

I’m a guy and I’ve liked this girl for a while but haven’t been able to talk to her because of quarantine. What should I do? – Anonymous 

Just try to reach out however you can. Maybe a Schoology message? I’ve heard that can be pretty romantic. Or find a safe way to meet up in person? I don’t know. This is a situation that I have never dealt with. But good luck. I’m rooting for you.

A close friend of mine has died. I don’t really know how to process they’re gone, and I don’t know if acting like everything is normal and fine is helping or not. What should I do? -Aaron Lockheart

Hi, Aaron. That sounds like a really tough situation, and I hope you and your family are dealing with it ok. To answer your question, I don’t think there’s really a wrong way to grieve the loss of a loved one. No one is going to tell you that you’re coping with it the wrong way, or that you’re not “helping.” Honestly, to me the only good way to deal with things like these is to do whatever helps you. Everyone grieves in different ways, and I think it’s ok if you need to take a little extra time to figure out how to process it. Personally, I have always found that in situations like these, talking to someone you trust about the things on your mind can be extremely helpful in dealing with any emotions or thoughts that you need to express, or unearthing feelings that you didn’t know you had. 

I’m really sorry about your friend, and I hope that you and any others currently dealing with loss are able to deal with their situation in a healthy and natural way. If you or anyone needs it here is a list of organizations that can help. 

Thank you to all the people who sent in questions. I do my best to answer every person asking for advice, so if you want to be in the next installment of Ask Truman, ask me a question in this form.

Until next time.