Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Do you want an honest answer?

I'm back, and feeling (a little) better! I did take a hot bath and drink a glass of wine, and I did curl up in a blanket with a chick flick (Marie Antoinette), and I did take time off work- 3 days. I also took a slew of medicine and am at the moment running on Dayquil. I'm back at "the old swivel chair" trying to catch up on work/do damage control on the disasters that inevitably happen when I'm gone.

Anyway, I've been thinking about the silly things we do out of habit: namely, the "How are you?" People walking by my desk or visiting the office or, less often, on the phone... it's nothing more than a social nicety; usually it's mumbled without thinking and without expecting an answer. Usually I just answer "fine, thanks", because usually I AM fine. But I try to only ask if I care/have the time to listen to a real answer, even though I know I won't get one 90% of the time.

I'm a genuine person and I don't like small talk and "social niceties". If you don't care how I am, why bother asking? The way I hear it every day, the "How are you?" isn't even deserving of a question mark. You know the tone I'm talking about. "Hey, how are you." It's insulting. And since I'm not fine today, It's been making me feel shallow all day to have to answer "I'm ok." when I really want to answer "I haven't been able to breathe through my nose in 6 days, and I've hacked up a some really, truly horrendous and unidentifiable masses of something gooey that I'm considering donating to DU for scientific research."

Too much? It'd definitely be the last time that guy from Halliburton asks a receptionist about the current state of her day without thinking long and hard. But I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. >:)

6 comments:

Thom Gabrukiewicz said...

Just stay away from the homemade Bloody Marys. By the way, how are you? (I know, such an ass. But I hope you're DayQuil holds out and that you're on the road to recovery.)

Beth said...

You make me laugh! Sounds like you're still in the stay at home zone but I know what it's like when your desk starts filling up in your absence! Look after you!

Beth said...

Ps.....cough and sneeze over a very important member of staff whilst meantioning your love for chickens and see how long it takes them to send you home for a week on pay! (you guys have heard of bird flu right?)

Melissa said...

Yay- You're back! :) I'm glad you managed to get some rest in and I hope that although you're not at 100% today, it'll go smoothly. BTW... how was the movie? I've been wanting to see it but didn't know if it'd be a waste of money.

Beth~ Ha ha! The bird flu... that's funny.

RachelRenae said...

melissa: I loved it. It's a fresh take on the whole period-film genre. Great costumes, sets, and... 80's music!! Definitely rent it.

Thom Gabrukiewicz said...

R&R; looks like you're caught up with Surface Tension! I do like Beth's sneeze idea, but yeah, your desk at work fills up with so much debris (I love that word) that it's almost not worth it to take a sick day. I just came in late - and left early.