When asked we usually come back with a quick “Not bad.” Or maybe a “Pretty good.” The point being we don’t want to bother someone with all the painful details of our lives. In reality, we may be suffering inside with pain and anxieties which many people wouldn’t want to know to begin with.
Sometimes the way we respond may be the actual way we feel: Not bad. Or pretty good. The plain truth is we don’t know what feeling good really means. When we respond to someone with those answers what we really mean is we don’t feel as bad as we did the day before.
And maybe we should just leave it at that and move on with our lives. However, there are times when we should really get a bit more detailed about our response. I know that people mean well, but have you ever gone to the doctor’s office for an appointment and the first thing the receptionist asks you is: “How are you feeling today?”
My mind always rushes to the response (which I don’t say): “What do you mean? I’m coming to the doctor’s office! Do you think I just wanted to stop by and see how everyone here was doing?”
You, of course, come back with the response: “Not bad!” Then you wait until they are able to get you into that extra little office so you can wait so more for the doctor to see you. Then there’s that light little knock and the door opens and the doctor walks in. The doctor’s first response: “How are we doing today?” Does anybody realize WHY people go to the doctor’s office? Are they just trying to be funny in some slick medical fashion?
I think from now on when asked “How are you doing?” I’m just coming back with a simple: “For an old, fat man falling apart, I'm doing pretty well." But, like everyone else, I'm only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"When you ask someone how they feel,
be prepared, they may tell you!"
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