He hates her previous interracial dating

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating someone for about six months. We fell in love very quickly and spend almost every second together.

Our relationship has hit a rough patch ever since he found out that I have dated African-American men. He can't seem to get over it. He says cruel things sometimes when he gets mad, and it seems to be on his mind constantly. He seems to view it as disgusting.

I thought he was my soul mate because we connected so well on everything else, but I'm afraid he will never get past this issue and I may be wasting my time. What should I do?

- Rocky Road in the South

DEAR ROCKY ROAD: Give him a hug and let him go. You are the sum total of your experiences and your upbringing, and the same is true of your boyfriend. He comes from a background of racial prejudice. When a person is raised that way, the mind-set can be very difficult to change.

DEAR ABBY: When I travel, I stay in hotels and it never ceases to amaze me how inconsiderate my fellow travelers can be. Late at night, the drunken party animals carry on, often until the sun rises. Then families with small children invade the halls, and the kids race up and down the halls screaming.

Fellow travelers, please be considerate! Walk softly and talk quietly in the halls. And parents, please teach your children manners.

- Sleepless Near Seattle

DEAR SLEEPLESS: I have experienced the same difficulties that you have while traveling. Here's how I deal with it: I pick up the phone and notify the front desk or security if there are rowdy drunks keeping me awake after 10 p.m. - and the same goes for neighbors who have the volume on their television sets turned up so high I can't sleep. If the problem persists, I ask to be moved to a quieter room.

As for the screaming children chasing each other in the hallways - I have been known to poke my sleepy head out the door and ask them to please quiet down. Maybe I have just been lucky, but they usually do.