Old Chums

I ran into a girl I went to high school with yesterday at Wal-Mart, child in tow of course.  She asked how I was.  She seemed so happy.  I don't mean happy, like when someone wins a prize on Wheel of Fortune, I mean....happy.

So what do say when an old chum asks how you are?  You certainly don't tell them the truth.  What am I going to say, that I hate my life, I despise my job, my house is cold and I'm stressed to the max?  I don't think so.  No, you would say what I had said.  "Great!  Everything's great!"  You say the same thing at the check out when the cashier asks.

Because no one actually wants to know how you are.  You don't tell the cashier you've had constipation or diarrhea.  No, you give the standard answer to be polite. 

"Great, fine.  How are you doing?"

I bought $7 in scratch off lottery tickets today, hoping to win my way out of my current situation (as there are zero jobs locally).  I've NEVER spent more than $2 at a time or within the same week on lottery.  Once--only one--did I spend $3 on a ticket.

I didn't even win a dollar back.  I felt a tremendous amount of guilt as I pondered that I had just spent $7 of grocery money and pissed it away like it was nothing.  But I'm fine, thanks.  How are you doing?