Has anyone ever offered you the following farewell greeting?
Have a good one!
I have a confession to make. I coined that stupid farewell. Why? I honestly cannot say. I did not intend to be so thoughtless, and it did not seem to much matter at the time. Yet I have sputtered out that thoughtless phrase too many times. How do I know? I have imitators. Can you imagine my horror when I first heard someone say it to me? I could only pray: “Dear Lord, what have I done?”
When we wish someone a fond farewell, we decorate the sorrow of a cemetery with the most beautiful flowers we have handy. To wish a friend well is often the best we can do to show those who must leave us that we care. But what does “Have a good one!” say? We cannot even be bothered to figure out a good one of what?
So I apologize for being so lazy, for allowing my mouth to rebel against the rest of my body. I will try to reform. Of course, I will study what the Apostle Paul had to say about the unity and diversity of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), and I will do my best to take to heart James’ words about the untamable tongue (James 3:1-12). Yet are those the passages from scripture I most need to meditate upon? Probably not. Not if I seek to be commended by our Lord as Paul once commended a disciple named Timothy (Philippians 2:19-24).
Citizen Tom 
You are too funny! 😀
Oh, so you’re the one, eh?!?
“CITIZEN TOM!!” (shouts, shaking fist into the air) 😆
To tell you the truth, though, that’s not really on my list of sayings that annoy me.
And the list is pretty long. LOL 🙂
Like…(as mentioned above) why do people ask how you’re doing when they don’t want an answer?
Why do people say they “could care less” when they mean they couldn’t care less?
Why don’t people say what they actually mean?!?
Think I might be entering the “get off my lawn!” stage of life (or pretty close).
My mother tells this story that she shocked my father when I was born by saying I looked like a little old man.
😒
As it happens, I was not a particularly healthy baby, and my mother had to work to get me through infancy. Still, there was one advantage. I don’t think I have to worry about growing old gracefully.
I just cut my grass on my lawn often enough to satisfy the HOA. The ticks like that.
So it was you that did that! 😉 I’ve said that phrase many times too, but my error comes at the beginning of the conversation when I ask, “How ya doin?” without really wanting to know how this person is doing.
Ah, the expression I refer to as “white noise”. I have brought a few people up short by responding “do you want to real answer or the polite lie?” Most of the time I simply say “fine” even when I’m not, because I recognize it for what it is, white noise.
I know right? I’ve asked people that too and sometimes I even respond with brutal honesty.
Not risk adverse, are you?
🙂
I think it’s funny that people say “how are you?” to me in the hallway and keep on walking before they have a chance to hear my answer. J.
My brother would use the saying “Nice knowing you” whenever he was confronted with views he did not agree to avoid arguing.
I like the Hawaiian greeting Aloha, which means both welcome greeting and farewell
Many people believe the ancient greeting was based on King Solomon. Shalom which means “peace” and “to be safe in mind, body, or estate … be with you.”
In In the USA, what you say to greet or say goodbye will be subject to millions of critics.
Best to be politically correct and just say hello or goodbye to someone you don’t know well ….or dislike.
Regards and good will is my personal favorite when I write to both friends and foes.
When I disagree with someone, I just say “I’ll pray for you”
I usually give a hug to my family and good friends now when I say goodbye, ………….at my age…………..you never know if it is going to be Aloha or not.
Regards and good will blogging.
Yeah, I am getting up there too!
Don’t rush, age can really get uglier, the older we become.
Regards and good will blogging.
This made me chuckle. I’ve often used those words too without thinking – have a good what? The old word – “goodbye” meant God be with you. Maybe it’s not such a bad farewell to bring back into use.