When asked, "How are you?"

We all know those people who turn the conversation around to be about them. I'm no psychologist, but isn't that some kind of cry for attention? I know I should be patient with people, but sometimes it just gets too annoying to put up with. We all like to talk about ourselves and share things that happen in our lives with people we work with, family and people we connect with. It should never lead to some sort of competition. Do other's feel this way too?

Do people really know how to listen and respond appropriately, show compassion and show a little bit of empathy? I think the art of listening is becoming lost. The "me" generation stems to all generations. It seems that way anyway. Keep in mind this is just my opinion.

One day at work someone asked me why I don't talk a lot. I didn't have to think about the answer, because I know why I don't talk a lot. I didn't know this person very well, because they were fairly new, but I decided to be honest.

"I have learned not to talk to much, because when someone asks how I am they really don't care. I start to tell them and instead of showing interest, I'm quickly shut down by interruptions and am told about how they are and don't ever get to finish my thoughts. Most of the time I've resigned myself to just saying the usual "fine" word, because some people just don't care.

I surprised my co-worker by saying this, and I could tell that she looked a little guilty. I had to reassure her that she in no way had done this, but I was just giving an honest answer. I did find that when she asked about my personal life, she did in fact listen and we had quite a conversation, I was interested in her life as well. It was a nice give and take conversation.

I was talking about my daughter one day, when someone asked about her. I had found out that she was going to graduate college. Someone else piped up without letting me finish the sentence I was in and made it a competition about herself and how smart her own sister was. Without thinking, I just looked at her and asked her when the conversation became about her? Her timing was way off and it was insulting how she made the conversation about her in one fell swoop. I didn't mean to embarrass her, but when everyone else laughed, because they didn't expect me to say what I did, she walked away.

One of my favorites is, and I'm being sarcastic ... is when I'm asked, or it can be asked of someone else, is "How are you doing?", "Oh, I'm tired and didn't sleep very well.", the response is, "Oh, you want me to feel sorry for you? I never sleep at night. Welcome to my world!"

Really? You have to gull to actually say that? Since when does this person own the top trophy about not being able to sleep at night? We all have problems at times and it should never be a lead in to insult someone or, to minimize what other's are feeling. It feels as if they are trying to make the person who dares to say they didn't sleep well feel stupid as well. We all have a right not to feel well if we don't sleep well at night. GOOD GRIEF!!

In summing up this little rant, people need to think before they speak. It goes a long way in relationships in your life that encompass personal relationships with your kids, spouse, friends, people you work with and in all interactions with people you meet on a day to day basis. Use common sense and you'll get a lot further in how other's respond to you and ultimately you just might gain a little respect.