"How are you?" she asked with her smile. A genuine smile.
"I wish I knew" I replied. It is one of those evasive non-answers replies that I sometimes use in small-talk. "How you doing?"
She knocked her knuckles on the wood and said, "I am thankful I am healthy."
As we get older, we realize that being healthy is one wonderful gift that is beyond compare. When young, we might utter the phrase of health being the greatest wealth, but it takes life experience to truly understand that.
"Although ..." she continued as she scanned the items. I am always amazed that people can multitask like that. I can either talk or work. Not both at the same time. "My birthday is towards the end of the month ... and it is almost always rainy and cloudy ... on days like that, when it is a birthday, it is depressing that I am getting older ..." she sighed.
There is only one thing we can do about getting older--accept it. Fighting it is a waste of one's energy and is an added layer of stress. Even when they think that I am a senior-citizen!
I nodded my head.
"You know, when talking about such things, we say "depressing" to refer to how we feel ... the other day, a student was talking to be about some serious depression he is in ..." I commented. "Old or young, health is so important, and to be able to get out of bed and get going with the day ..."
She knocked on the counter again.
However, small-talk is not about being serious.
"But then, I get out of bed and look at myself in the mirror ... and it is like 'holy crap, I am getting old!'"
I suppose she didn't expect me to switch gear from serious to funny. She laughed heartily.
Laughter is the best medicine. May you live a healthy life!
4 comments:
Yes indeed, acceptance of getting old is absolutely the right thing to do, but boy, is that so so difficult. And yes, it takes "wisdom" to realise that the greatest good fortune is good health.
What on earth is happening . Three consecutive posts I am wholeheartedly agreeing with !! I must have lost my marbles :)
Do you really respond "I wish I knew" to "How are you " ??? You are a strange guy. Your countrymen and women usually respond Great, Awesome, Fantastic, Super, or something like that :)
Maybe after years of reading my posts and engaging with me you have finally figured out that you were wrong and I am always in the right? muahahahaha
Yes, great and awesome and fantastic and more ... but there are also a whole range of other kinds of responses that can be light-hearted ... we Americans are more than one-dimensional ;)
Yes, getting out of bed is a blessing some days. Reduced pain. Clear memory or thinking, even for a few moments. Getting older isn't for the wimpy, but it usually beats the alternative.
How about "extraordinary" as an answer to "How are you?"? Can be positive or negative but will please the questioner who assumes it is positive.
Getting old is not for sissies ... which is also why I am on a countdown ;)
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