Sometimes when I talk with people I won’t answer any questions about myself. I just deflect things like “How’s it going” or “What’cha thinking?” It frustrates me to do it, probably at least as much as it frustrates those who ask. Sometimes it’s because I’m undecided, sometimes it’s because I don’t know. Sometimes it’s because I just don’t really understand the question. I’m still breathing, thinking and ambulatory so obviously I’m doing pretty swell. What more is there to know? What more is there to honestly give a damn about?
Some days I think I’m turning into Holden Caulfield. The prospect doesn’t phase me in the least.
{
I find myself to be a different person at 3am than I am at 3pm. This bothers am and doesn’t bother pm, but each are the better person for it. “I’m not really an asshole, I just play one on TV.”
}
Comments 2
During my first semester of college, I had a classmate from Brazil. She was really frustrated by “How are you?” Questions, because for Americans she found it was just a way to say hello. It means very little to most people, and often when people ask these questions they then wait for a short answer so that they can follow up with talking all about themselves. She found it really upsetting. In her culture, when people would ask “How you are”, they genuinely wanted to know what was going on in the person’s life- details like events that happened and how the person felt about what had been happening around them, or about their thoughts on current events.
Then again, some people don’t undersand that you can enjoy a person’s company without ever saying a word. And that you don’t need to talk every day in order to remain friends.
Posted 07 Dec 2009 at 05:47 ¶The man who shot John Lennon also thought he was Holden Caulfeild.
Posted 26 Jan 2010 at 13:14 ¶Post a Comment