Greetings

[size=150]Greetings[/size]

People
Are always interesting to watch:
Focused on their destination,
They go about their business
As if it were for the last time,
Although they are actually unaware
Of that possibility.
And when my path crosses theirs,
They greet me
(well, the ones with manners do)
With a lifted tone of voice,
Hi, how are you?
While walking past me,
Not once slowing down,
Straight-faced, looking forward.
That doesn’t bother me,
It’s just something I’ve noticed
Anyway.

I, however,
Have learned the lesson well:
When I greet somebody,
It’s not because it is expected,
But simply because I want to.
“It comes from the heart”
As the saying goes.
Although I go about my business,
Focused on my destination,
I still take time to say cheerfully,
Hi, how are you?
While walking past him,
Not once slowing my pace,
Straight-faced, looking forward.
Well, it’s not as if anyone
Would ever ask me
About the color of his eyes
Anyway.

[size=75]© Copyright 1998, Claudia Lingstädt-Kukulka[/size]

Hello Claudia,

yes, you´re right: it´s not fair and there is [color=red]no love between people.

But like the old saying mentions: [color=red]All do care for [color=red]themselves only. Except me, I´m the [color=blue]only one who cares for [color=blue]me!

Michael

Ah, never mind Michael, I like you. You’re a good guy.

Hello Kitos,

thank you for confession. Now we are already two who do like me. You know what Germans do if there is more than one sharing an interest?..They found a club.

Lol, this could be the hour of foundation the FFFCI " First Foah Fan Club International"

hehe

Michael

Hello Michael,

thank you for your comment! I appreciate it!

You are were very close with regard to the meaning of the poem: the superficiality and usage of empty phrases that all of us tend to use every once in a while. Like when we ask someone, “How are you?” although we don’t really want to know how that person is doing. Nothing wrong with that; it’s just part of being polite. It’s kind of strange, though. In parts of the world where such “common courtesies” are not all that popular, the people also appear quite sour-faced, don’t they? So, while it may not be exactly honest to use such empty phrases, it certainly lightens the overall mood. :wink:

Claudia

Hello Claudia,

I´m sure you immediately figured my foolishness out. To be honest, as disappointing as the common greeting might look -at first glance-, I think, it´s very important to go on with it.

Not only, that it makes one feeling part of a community (quite important since humans are individuals needing their herd) but also offers us the shine of respect in that community ( the more people greet you, the more regards do you seem to have). …Hey. look…I have greeted 20 persons since 7:00am and 21 have greeted me…ha.

Anyway, after all, I think, polite greeting brings much more comfort to people than one initially might feel, no matter how superficial they look initially. And on the other hand polite greetings might mean: “Sorry, not at the moment, but later I´d be pleased talking to you”

hello Claudia, what do you think?
hello all, what about you?

Michael