What I mean ... is not necessarily what I say ...

How often have you heard one person say to another, "Hi! How are you?" - or - "Hey, how's it going?"


My question to you is, has the questioner EVER bothered to listen for an answer???


If I am ever asked the question, "How are you?", I expect the questioner to at least have the courtesy to wait until I have responded with 'how I am'. (Not that I thought the asker would have been particularly interested in my answer, you understand, but I was asked a question.)


That's the way of it nowadays, isn't it? Nobody (seemingly) cares!! SO, your greeting to a passing acquaintance is a question of a rhetorical nature, only. Why even bother yourself with such an utterance?!? I mean, why speak at ALL? Why not just nod, or 'doff your hat', as it were.


I find it equally offensive when, while driving and listening to talk show radio, the caller begins with, "How ya doin'?" and then immediately launches into why he called in the first place, not the least bit interested in how the other person was 'doin'.

So why even ask the question??


If you want to give a greeting, say, "Hi!" - or - "Hello!" - or "I've heard so much about you, I'm very glad to meet you" (whatever) type of thing. DON'T ask a question and then walk away without waiting for an answer!


To me, that is just about the height of rudeness.


Similarly, it seems to me, is the instance when one person says to another, "I'll call you" - or - "I'll send you an e-mail with more info on ----- tomorrow."

Now, ALL of us know that e-mails are faster than regular mail, and tomorrow means tomorrow, right? Right??


So, I waited for five days for said e-mail to arrive. It didn't come. I hoped that the person that I had been talking to had not been taken ill.



YESTERDAY, I received in the regular mail (via the US Postal Service) my response from the person who had said he would send it by e-mail. Meanwhile, back at 'my' ranch, I had sent him an e-mail asking, "Did you change your mind?" "What happened?" "Did you lose my e-mail address?" "WHAT!?!"


At this stage of my life, folks, I really like it when people say what they mean and mean what they say.