I could call this "Parting is such sweet sorrow" if I was a dork, which I am, but I'm not THAT corny
Goodbyes are hard. No, not necessarily because you are going to miss the person to whom you are saying goodbye; that's sometimes, but not always, the case. I'm talking about the act of leaving someone being difficult. I have a lot of problems with this.
In a very casual setting with your friends, it's not very hard at all. Usually a simple "see ya later" will suffice. Plus, they are your friends. Who cares if you offend them, right? Hmm, maybe that's another problem.
If it's somebody you aren't as familiar with, it starts to get more complicated. A "see ya later" might not work, since you might have no intentions of seeing them later. What if it's somebody who lives far away who is simply visiting? You certainly aren't going to see them anytime soon, if at all. What if they also realize this? They'll think you're just being insincere. Jerk. I find that a "talk to you later" (TTYL LOL) usually works. With the many communication conveniences offered by the WORLD WIDE WEB, this is a much more feasible claim.
Once you get into a professional setting, things can get very complicated. For example, you share an elevator with a co-worker. What do you say when it's time to part and go to your own separate cubicles/offices? To me, nothing conclusive will work, because chances are you are going to see them many more times throughout the workday. I don't see the need to have a definitive end when you are going to be within 50 feet of each other and will pass each other several times.
That's another thing: the act of passing. When you pass somebody you know, there is some sort of obligation to acknowledge them. You'll get a nod or a "hey ____" or a "heya doin" out of me, but that's about it. I'm not going to have a structured conversation with someone every time I see them in passing. Maybe that's why I come off as bored or unfriendly... I'm sorry.
And aside from using the phone, I think just saying "bye" leaves something to be desired.
"Hellos" are kind of hard too. The main case being when you are meeting someone somewhere. The approach is tricky. What happens if you are heading towards them looking at them, and they see you too? Do you wave? Do you continue looking at each other until close enough to speak (which is weird)? Do you pretend not to see them and look away, or look busy with your phone? In my opinion this is the most awkward of these situations. What I try to do to avoid this is to try to sneak up on the person, or approach them from a 30-45 degree angle, staying just slightly in their peripheral vision. This usually gets me within speaking range before premature visual contact is made.
Does any of this resonate with anyone, or do I just look too much into things?
In a very casual setting with your friends, it's not very hard at all. Usually a simple "see ya later" will suffice. Plus, they are your friends. Who cares if you offend them, right? Hmm, maybe that's another problem.
If it's somebody you aren't as familiar with, it starts to get more complicated. A "see ya later" might not work, since you might have no intentions of seeing them later. What if it's somebody who lives far away who is simply visiting? You certainly aren't going to see them anytime soon, if at all. What if they also realize this? They'll think you're just being insincere. Jerk. I find that a "talk to you later" (TTYL LOL) usually works. With the many communication conveniences offered by the WORLD WIDE WEB, this is a much more feasible claim.
Once you get into a professional setting, things can get very complicated. For example, you share an elevator with a co-worker. What do you say when it's time to part and go to your own separate cubicles/offices? To me, nothing conclusive will work, because chances are you are going to see them many more times throughout the workday. I don't see the need to have a definitive end when you are going to be within 50 feet of each other and will pass each other several times.
That's another thing: the act of passing. When you pass somebody you know, there is some sort of obligation to acknowledge them. You'll get a nod or a "hey ____" or a "heya doin" out of me, but that's about it. I'm not going to have a structured conversation with someone every time I see them in passing. Maybe that's why I come off as bored or unfriendly... I'm sorry.
And aside from using the phone, I think just saying "bye" leaves something to be desired.
"Hellos" are kind of hard too. The main case being when you are meeting someone somewhere. The approach is tricky. What happens if you are heading towards them looking at them, and they see you too? Do you wave? Do you continue looking at each other until close enough to speak (which is weird)? Do you pretend not to see them and look away, or look busy with your phone? In my opinion this is the most awkward of these situations. What I try to do to avoid this is to try to sneak up on the person, or approach them from a 30-45 degree angle, staying just slightly in their peripheral vision. This usually gets me within speaking range before premature visual contact is made.
Does any of this resonate with anyone, or do I just look too much into things?