A Hello Goes A Long Way
January 26, 2004
I have become one of those guys at work who say hi to just about anyone. I’m not picky. If our eyes meet for even a glance, I will in a formal or casual way greet you. My favorites include, “Heya”, “How’s it going”, “Good mornin’ sir”, “Hey”, or a very breezy headtilt if I don’t really know you. I take pride in the fact that for the first time in my life, I know and acknowledge a lot of people.
Back in the day, I would only greet my fellow friends and thrust an air of cold vanity to others. I would shower my loved ones and chums with witty anecdotes and sarcastic put downs. I would piss strangers away with nary a glance.
I have few good friends in Japan but the ones that are here, they’re here for good. I have no fear that they’ll one day abandon me into the shadows of loner-land. There are many people I know at work whom I wouldn’t really call a friend. I seldom have conversations with them and we’re more on hello/random chit chat terms. Mostly, we’ll talk about how some aspect of work sucks and have a fake laugh over it. These people can tell me they’re going home in a week and never coming back and I’d wish them fake good luck and cry some fake tears. They have no value in my life.
I’ve come to equilibriums with many of these people – we won’t become good friends out of a lack of common interest or we won’t become worse acquaintances simply because there ain’t much to lose. I like this equilibrium because it gives me a false sense of social standing and gives me more outlets to complain about the last shitty student I just had or how (problem) caused (duration of time) of (negative emotion).
Today I experienced what I will call, “Highschool Emotional Rollercoaster Syndrome” (HERS). This is when one day you’re saying hello to someone and the next, they walk by you as if you never existed. You may have even said hello to them only to have them walk by (or even through) you without even acknowledging your meager little existence. I’ve experienced HERS many times in highschool and hence its name. While I will not cry you a river over this HERS incident, I am disconcerted over this phenomena happening to grown up adults who sometimes show signs of HERS once their friend’s usefulness is used up.
Granted. There are many people at work who are fresh out of college and haven’t had a real full time job before (like yours truly). Their mental capacity is really that of a parent-leeching, class-skipping, happy go lucky who think they should get their way all the time. HERS is very evident in this social group. I pride myself knowing many consider me to be ages ahead in terms of maturity compared to these peers.
Anyway, instead of ranting on and on about some (expletive) who didn’t return a “heya” today, I’ll just warn you that the next time you show signs of HERS, I will spit into your mouth and make you swallow my tobacco soaked loogie. Goodnight.
