Kyle exclaims at everything: “I ATE it all! I MAKE a tower! I TAKE a bath!” The tower thing is an old favorite because he said that when he was much younger and it suprised me that he could put an idea like that together in words. Now he says things like “Mommy, you’re coughing. Want some medicine?”
I am busy making towers lately…in my in-box. Somehow even though I am a SAHM I have lots to do, so much to do, so busy busy busy.
People always ask “How are you?” and the knee-jerk reflex is “Oh, great…busy.” But what does that mean, really? Aren’t we all busy? Who’s NOT busy? I have decided to stop using that as my response to the how are you question. (I’ve also decided to stop kissing hello the people that I don’t really want to kiss hello, but I guess that’s another post.)
The other night I was in the grocery store without the kids so I was taking my sweet time. As I checked out the cashier looked at me like she recognized me and asked me earnestly how I was doing. I said fine, thanks, and you? She said oh everybody’s busy, you must be busy too, blah blah busy busy busy.
I told her that I wasn’t that busy, and everybody is healthy and well. She blinked at me like she didn’t know what to say. The line behind me got longer, and I got self-conscious, so I got busy and packed up my stuff and left.
It’s a lonely game, defying convention.
You’re like the people that pay with cash in the Visa commercials. You may be rocking the boat, but at least you’re rockin’!
I tried that once, too… to not answer with the standard “fine, thanks, and you?” but I realized that most people really don’t want to know; often they don’t even stop to listen. so it wasn’t worth the thought.Now, I just don’t ask “how are you?” unless I really want to know.
It is SO true about the everybody is busy bit. I stopped saying that a few years ago when working at IBM. Everyone used it – it was the standard accepted response. I don’t know why, but I eventually hypothesized that it was culturally required that everyone be busy. Even if we weren’t. So we either were busy and felt good about it, made ourselves busy to feel good, or lied.
Hm.
I check in on you every few weeks and always enjoy hearing your thoughts. You are delightfully articulate.