How are you?

So as previously mentioned, and as can be seen by my lack of posts, it's been a bit busy here. No time to even ride the scooter--- A sin, I know. But I really shouldn't complain about it, because really, who isn't busy?

My dad has always been bothered by Americans and how we throw around the phrase, "How are you?" On the phone, on the street, with sales people, everyone asks how you are doing. But his complaint comes with the fact that really, no one cares. Asking is routine and hardly anyone waits or cares to hear the honest answer of "how you are." My dad's friend Henk, from the Netherlands, also noticed this about Americans and asked my dad about it. Henk and my dad both agreed that Americans are rude and phony. (Wow, dutch people thinking Americans are rude... that's a joke right there.) But in all seriousness, I don't think it is really such a bad thing to edit out the details with a quick, "good" or "fine."

A coworker who's desk is near mine at work should learn to be a bit less honest and rely on a simple "fine, thanks." Doesn't he know that no one cares? As he speaks on the phone everyday, I get to hear repeatedly about his shoulder surgery, his slacker kids dropping out of high school or his long night in bathroom... I'll spare you the gory details. I don't need to hear this, and my guess is that the person on the other end of the line wasn't interested either. Too much information.

But the reoccurring answer from my coworker that drives me up the wall is, "I'm up to my elbows in alligators." Then a few months ago apparently everything must have gotten worse because now he's "Up to his eyebrows in alligators." What!?! Alligators? What is that even supposed to mean? If anything, it makes me think he has too much time on his hands if he can make up ridiculous little gems like that. Apparently it all comes down to alligators? It just takes me back to something my mom used to tell me: "Don't go around telling people your problems; half of the people won't care and the other half will think you got what you had coming to you." In applying this to Mr. Alligator... I'm pretty sure we'd all fall in the same camp, rule out his old-man humor, and be perfectly happy with a simple, "I'm fine."