I have always maintained that when service personnel say “how are you?”, they really don’t care – it has just become part of today’s colloquial conversation. I could say this is also true of being asked this by acquaintances, as well. They really don’t want to know. One day I would love to have the nerve to REALLY answer the question, for example “Well, my back is really sore today and they have changed my medication. Also my bank phoned to say they are foreclosing on my mortgage, so we will all be out on the street.” I wonder what the stunned reponse would be or, in fact, if the person had even heard what I said because the expected reply of “just fine thanks”, was not forthcoming. Popa, why don’t you try that one day and see what happens? “Have a nice day.” (another phrase that drives me batty). In fact, there are a few expressions that irritate me. When a waitress calls me “sugar” or “honey” I want to toss the coffee in their faces. Recently I was at a hospital for an IV infusion and they were having a lot of trouble establishing the IV (in fact they never did get it going because after the fifth jab, I called the whole thing off). A very young nurse kept calling me “sweetie” till I finally barked at her “you may call me Jane or you may call me Mrs. Doe, but stop calling me sweetie. I am not your sweetie – you don’t even know me and I am old enough to be your grandmother.” That was the last that I saw of her.
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