Since the beginning of time, or since I moved to Arizona eons ago, I have heard people saying, “Have a nice day.” It sounds friendly enough. It works whenever I am with someone I know or when I end a phone conversation. It even works when I purchase something at a store and the clerk says, “Thank you and have a nice day.” Totally acceptable.
I shop frequently at Sprouts and as the clerk is checking my groceries out, she always asks, “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Where the heck did this come from? First of all, why would should want to know? And, second, if I knew my plans why would I tell her? And, third, if I DID want to tell her, she probably wouldn’t care. So why ask that ridiculous question?
Another stupid question I have been asked lately is, “How is your day going?” Do I really want to tell someone that I have been driving around in the damn heat all day, I feel like a dried-out prune and I can’t wait to get home and cool down? No! I typically say, “Oh, fine!”
Unless, you are my best friend, I am not going to tell you how I really feel! And, to turn this around, when I say to someone, “How are you doing?”, I really don’t expect to hear about their health issues, their pet issues and anything other “woe-is-me” stuff they might have going on.
We are a society of people, who for the most part, are very cordial to each other, especially in business. We should keep it that way. No more, no less!
Funny!