Déjà vu all over again.

     Did you ever run into someone who hasn’t seen you for a couple of months and they’ll say, “Wow, it’s been a while! You look… good. How’s everything been?” You know you could pass for a manatee, but you’re also aware they are trying not to hurt your feelings so you smile, say thanks, and move on with the conversation. It’s not what they’ve said, it’s how they’ve said it. That ever so slight pause they take as their brain frantically tries to retrieve an adjective that’s pleasantly neutral on one hand and the complete opposite of what they’re really thinking on the other. (Little white lies: social lubricant or unnecessary deception? Discuss.) I have found myself on the sad end of this conversation a couple of times recently.