by Tom Morrow

When I was a young lad, an uncle prompted me on just how important it was to greet people when you first meet them each day with a “good morning.” And, he added, “do it with a smile.” Over the years, I’ve shortened it to simply “morning — how’s it goin?” because one shouldn’t assume that a particular day is “good” for the person being greeted.
But upon reflection, does anyone really care how someone else’s day is going?
Our daily greeting system has gotten to the point where each party is saying “how are you?” or “How’s it goin’?'” almost simultaneously, with neither really listening, or caring about the response. If we were to respond, “terrible,” would the greeter really want to hear why you were having a less-than-good day? I think not.
For the most part, women are far more cheerful for this morning ritual than we fellows. Guys can get by with, “Hey,” “Howdy,” a grunt, or just a nod and, maybe, a smile. It’s part of the guy language code.
Being cheerful in the morning is important because you let everyone know that you’re prepared to take on the day and, you can do it with a smile. You look forward to what lies ahead with enthusiasm. Anyway, that’s the message most of us try to convey. Of course, every social setting has a few knuckleheads who won’t even offer a grunt.
I’m a morning person. Other folks don’t get their blood pumping much before 11 a.m. Never invite me to an afternoon meeting between 2 and 4 — I’ll probably nod off.
Saying “Hi” used to be an accepted all-hour greeting. When I joined the Navy and spent several months down in Brunswick, Ga., I found out that “Hey” wasn’t an attention-getter, rather a Southern term for “Hi.” Have you noticed “Hey” creeping into our language? It’s quite common to greet someone with a “Hey” these days, and few, if any, are from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Maybe we don’t use “Hi” so much because years ago Ozzie Nelson wore it out on television.

KID GEMS —- On the first day of school, the Kindergarten teacher said, “If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers.”
A little voice from the back of the room asked, “How will that help?”
THAT’S LIFE! —- Football was actually invented by a group of women as a way to keep their husbands out of the kitchen on holidays.

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