Raw, but c*nsored blabbing and blogging of a young journalista
and local news producer in Southern New England.
email topstorylive % at # gmail + dot = com

Saturday, November 12, 2005

How are YOU doing?

At some point in the last few years I noticed that I often have exchanges like this:

OTHER PERSON: Hello Bill, how are you?
ME: Fine.

with perhaps the implication of "I'm just fine thank you, but I couldn't give a toss how YOU'RE doing".

Somewhere along the line I realized that it would probably be polite if I returned the favor.

OTHER PERSON: How are you?
ME: I'm okay, how are you?
OTHER PERSON: Good.

This didn't last long without starting to get on my nerves. I know I read in the past someone who got fed up with people who, when you ask them how they're doing, they actually tell you; but I'd rather treat the question at face value:

OTHER PERSON: How are you?
ME: I'm getting depressed again. Which is not a good thing because I am taking an anti-depressant. I'm getting really anxious about.... (etc. etc. etc.)
OTHER PERSON: .... Oh, I'm sorry to hear that ....

Of course if EVERYONE did this it would halt the entire business in a hurry. Then again:

OTHER PERSON: How are you?
ME: Okay.
OTHER PERSON: Just okay?

is equally stupid.

But the most annoying is when I take a telephone call in the newsroom from some TOTAL stranger whom I never plan on talking to again.

ME: XXXXXXXXXXX News, this is Bill.
OTHER PERSON: (CRUSTY RHODE ISLAND ACCENT) Hello, Bill, this is John from North Kingstown. [or some other of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns]
ME: Hello. [or] What can I do for you?
OTHER PERSON: (TRYING TO SOUND MEANINGFUL AND OVERDOING IT) How are you?
ME: (A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK) I'm fine.

The other person proceeds to try and get me to put his son's little league team on television for some absurd little reason that simply doesn't fit in with our hard-hitting brand...

I simply want to say, "Get to the point, what's going on?"

Or perhaps, "Listen, I don't care how you're doing and you couldn't care how I'm doing either, let's dispense with the pleasantries and talk business."

But that would be a waste of time......

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 11/12/2005 07:02:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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