How Are You?

How are you?

We ask and answer this on autopilot.

FINE.

What if FINE is a lie? Can telling the truth be a lifesaver? I wish. But I have not met many people who are equipped to handle truth. Most people crumple into a big wad of awkwardness when looking into the face of truth.

FINE can be a brick wall between me and help, between me and the people who love me. But that brick wall can be a safety barrier to protect my heart from seeing the awkwardness in someone’s face who asks me how I am as a social informality and I think they want the truth. I think of Jack Nicholson”s character in the 1992 movie, “A Few Good Men.” “You can’t handle the truth.”

This is one of the reasons I blog. Those who really want to know show me by following my blog. And the people who do that do not have to ask me how I’m doing; they already know.

Small talk has its place. But maybe we should try harder with people who matter.