person: hey, how’s it going?

me: i spend my life in a constant state of emotional turmoil, and every time you ask me a simple question i have to think back and wonder who i am at this moment. am i the happy face and the firm handshake, the slight nod of the head? am i the warm, understanding smile, the sympathetic ear? or am i just the person who invents different personas and fits a new face to every situation? you don’t really care how it’s going, and i don’t really care to tell you. your eyes are on mine, but you aren’t truly listening. what are you doing? what am i doing? where do we go from here?

me: …fine.