I really liked your question. It touched me very deeply actually.
I do an awful lot of caring for others in my life. I'm reasonably good at it. A lot of people heavily rely on me. It seems to be the way things are for me.
But at night sometimes, the anxiety (the futility, the insanity, the finiteness, the emptiness, the longing, dreams never realised, chances untaken, mistakes made, regrets unrelenting) often conspire and grab me firmly with a choke hold, and then proceed to eat me alive. And I then lose my way, in the dark.
And, after a really bad night last night, I wake to find your question.
And it made me remember that I was a person once too.
Sorry to steal your thunder but I did, but you added some extra that I did not expect, and you are very sweet! I sometimes think that if someone actually turned around and asked - hey, how ARE you? -I would crumple (and that is not something you get with custard). In answer to your question, if everyone asks everyone - how are you? - is that everyone covered?
i guess the trick is to listen and take on board their answer...
Strange thing that sentence? When I get to work n the morning lots of work mates ask,hello how are you? To which I reply fine thanks. But I always forget to ask how they are and just keep walking, it just isn't natural for me to ask them as I don't really want to now how they are. Must be that small talk thing,
The difference with being asked by you on here is that you may actually want to know how we are! You care for our happiness,therefore worthy of a reply, I also care for you as you have demonstrated your willingness to help others therefore you are held in high regard in my mind.
didn't expect that did you? I meant all of it. Part of the being me and saying what I feel,
