The “Have A Nice Day” Syndrome…

This is something I have found of late that runs a muck all over.  Years ago it started in California with the grocery clerks always saying “have a nice day” after they have finished checking out your order.  The problem with this syndrome is the fact that the person who is telling you this is really not doing much more than repeating a statement as would a parrot.  When you come to think about it, they could really care less if you “had a good day’, as chances are they don’t know a thing about you.  So why is this syndrome spreading I might ask?  Is there a cure for it, or is there treatment?  Heck I even heard my girlfriend’s 7 years daughter telling me to “have a nice day”.  

One of the absolute last places I would want to be is getting ready for surgery and have the surgeon tell me “have a nice day”, although I have heard that at his office though, and the staff too!  I myself used to be contaminated this this syndrome and didn’t realize I had it until I had a friend from the UK visiting who pointed it out, and that’s when it all hit me, yes I was infected like half of the rest of the population.  It has been almost a year and now I can proudly say I have kicked the “Have A Nice Day” habit!  Yes, I still hear this day in and day out from others, knowing they are still under the auspice of this terrible impersonal syndrome. 

Now that I have said this, I might even have a few of you that would agree with me with my musings above.  Case and point of this whole dissertation here is to remember to say something worthwhile to others with a sense of concern or at least a small bit of compassion.   Take time to hear yourself, like I did and boy was I one repetitive parrot, it was just something that was said without any real meaning or thoughts.  Now I even take joy in saying “see you later gator” every once in a while, especially when it’s time for a smile or laugh.

It sure feels a whole lot better to say something with some depth or meaning instead of that 4 word phrase that meant nothing…and on top of that it makes me think about being a little more original and saying something that I might like to hear myself.  There’s no 12 step program for this and I went cold turkey (grin).  Now that you have reached this point and have kept reading this bit of a rant, give it a try if you are stuck with this syndrome, break the habit, your friends and others will be glad you did just as they were when you started using “Dial” deodorant (don’t you wish everyone did).   (PS if you were born past the 60s, you won’t get that last statement)  BD