Thoughts to Ponder On: The Me and We on our Lives

The other day, I strolled into a small, modest café shop just to warm up my body with a cup of coffee. Sadly, this modest, small café is obviously caught up in the present economic downturn that has lingered for a while now.

This café is my regular coffee spot, so it hasn’t escaped my mind that the owner of the café (a woman) used to be routinely pleasant. So, it was typical of her to enquire after my well-being – my response to her was so casual because I never considered myself as being fine or doing well either. She must have taken note of my cold response and drew closer, a sure sign that she wanted to come out clear.

“Is it even necessary to ask that question in the first place – ‘how are you’? I doubt if anyone really cares”.

Then, it dawned on me that I had to come to full consciousness in order to come to terms with her that people rarely expect sincere response when they ask ‘how are you?’. Instead, the question is a mere routine that we all try to observe, and we also do it to appear polite. It pleased me really that the connection I just established with this woman is real but rare one. Based on this connection, I concluded that a more genuine practice would be for all to wish one another a better day as our paths cross:

“Have a better today than you had the previous day” Or do you think we should even launch a campaign on that? On the evening of the same day, I tuned to one of the news stations and listened as several people were calling in to suggest that government should not come to the rescue of the ‘sick’ auto industry. Then, there comes a commentator scolding the callers for such ‘ill suggestion’ as he called it.

I quickly gathered that his defense was based on the fact that auto industry is responsible for a massive percentage of his network’s advertising proceeds. Just shortly afterwards, a political pundit defended himself in connection to his SUV and made a jest of those who move with small cars – he was just feeling cool about herself for being known as ‘big car’ owner – just that!