how’s life?

I’m not particularly fond of that question, it’s weird I know. But every time I get asked that, I’ll be rolling my eyes invisibly, sighing to myself inaudibly.

For just a short phrase it’s rather overwhelming to answer, don’t you think? I often am stumped at how to reply. Well, for one thing, there’s so much to life, which part of my life are you interested to know about, I wonder. Is it my career, my social life, my family, my health, or my love life? Honestly… Wouldn’t it be tough to summarise your life in a single brief introductory reply?

Here are some examples…
“Hey, thanks for asking, I’m kinda loving my personal life but my health is suffering due to the stress in my career”.

Or how about
“My career and everything else is picking up but I’m feeling like a loser cos my love life is in the dumps?”

Gee… honest and heartfelt… sounds like wonderful conversation starters huh? Not!


What’s wrong with asking the good old-fashioned “How are you”?

It is just as short and simple. More importantly, asking that question expresses interest in the person, how he’s feeling or doing now, not asking for an overview of his life. So pretty much, you can reply it in any way you wish with whatever’s at the top of your head.

Well at least that was what I thought till a conversation I had with a friend some time back:

R.V: Hey, how are you?
hardshell: great!, I’m wearing a new dress and I’m feeling good.
R.V: err.. that’s so girly…
hardshell: and what’s wrong with that? I am a girl
R.V: yea but I didn’t expect such a reply from you. Not from you…
hardshell: why not?
R.V: cos you’re… deep
hardshell: …

Right… so much for not being intimidatingly honest.

Guess I’ll stick to my okays.