Bill, you nail much of this recurring situation and the thoughts prompted.
When I ask the youngish ones about themselves,
they tend to say they are students with assignments
falling due.
Did you have a good weekend?
is another standby.
My first response is
I don’t remember.
I do recall a parent-child standard exchange
(maybe it was the title of a book)
Where did you go?
Out.
What did you do?
Nothing.
Max
On 28 May 2014, at 7:50 am, Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Have you got any plans?
>
> It's the new intrusion
> at the checkout.
>
> Well, do you?
> No casual enquiry
>
> this conversational prompt.
> A management directive?
>
> Whether you admit
> you don't or say you do,
>
> the polite follow-up
> would surely be Do you?
>
> Flirting, supermarket style
> to the accompaniment
>
> of coin jingle, bar code
> blip, wallet flourish.
>
> Then again, if tied
> to the till, anyone
>
> with trolley and time
> must seem free.
>
> Or, hang on a second,
> has the checkout chick
>
> exposed a yawning?
> Just what in hell
>
> are your intentions
> on this blue planet?
>
> bw
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