How are you?

After a while of not seeing friends, it is usually custom, upon seeing them again, to ask them that question. You know what I'm talking about, that stupid, and ridiculous, but quite caring, "How are you?"

Personally, I hate that question, because nine times out of ten, the person asking, does not really want to know. They ask, out of simple manners, and basically expect the person to ask the same thing in return, and to either go unanswered, or to be answered with a "I'm good, or a "just fine thanks".

In the "olden times" people just asked the question to each other, bowed a bit, and carried on with the socialization. And, I suppose someone decided later on, that maybe we should start answering. But then they realized, when answering honestly, on how they were doing, that no one wanted to hear, "not so good" or, "actually, pretty bad..." because it ruins the socialization, and makes everything doom and gloom, and they cant have a yuppy conversation. Personally, I think we should stop asking that question. I mean really, if we aren't going to answer it honestly, why would we answer it at all?

And back to "now-a-days"... if someone walks up to me, and asks me that question... I usually, (and to my misfortune) say I'm doing well, and then I forget to ask the other person the same thing. Which is responded by, with a blank look, of expectation, because they know if I ask it to them, they are going to have to lie, and say they are doing amazingly, and life is good. Yeah, right. But the thing is, I'm too perplexed by the question, so EVERY time someone asks me how I am doing, I lie, and then start thinking so much about how ridiculous that was, that I forget the simple, uh... courtesy, of asking them how they are doing.

I mean really. When I ask, I actually want to know. I usually don't care if they tell me that their life sucks right now. I just want to know how they are doing. That's why I ASK THE QUESTION.

And heaven forbid someone be honest. I mean, between very close friends its different. But the minute someone is honest with another aquaintance, and might say that they are in a bit of a life problem, almost everyone gets uncomfortable. They might start moving around funny, or stumble over their words. Thus in an effort to take the awkwardness away from the situation, they add to it, and make the "honest" person feel weird.

Geez, is the world socially inept?