“I’m livin’ the dream (and would like to wake up)” is a personal favorite of mine.
“Another day in paradise.”
“well, someone’s dream” is something I like to tack on the end haha
“Nightmares are dreams too”
So, here’s a fuck up from earlier this year:
A family friend came over one day. I was out by my car, having returned from a visit to the shops. I hadn’t seen him in years, and he asks how I was. I responded with “Surviving”, before saying something about my degree progress and stuff.
He goes a bit quiet and awkward, eventually making his way inside while I finished what I was doing.
I walked inside and walked past my parents talking to him. Then I remembered something. His partner was diagnosed with a brain tumour that had metastasised from breast cancer. I also remembered that a few days ago, my parents went to visit his partner in the palliative care unit because she lost the fight. I realised then that he clearly came around to tell my parents that she had passed away. She fucking died and I responded with “Surviving”.
Ooooooffff
Oh shit. Thank you for sharing this.
The horrors persist but so do I
Oooo not sure I can use this all the time but I hope to remember to use once in awhile.
Not sure I get it. So what is the answer if you’re not white?
Like “Dad responses”, whiteness is a state of mind 🧘♂️
Ok but I still don’t understand the joke :(
Like “Dad responses”, these are just common cliche ways for white American men to respond to questions - in this case, “How are things going?”
In this case, the responses listed, while seemingly anodyne, are generally given out as a means of downplaying one’s own troubles - “It’s going” being “It’s going badly enough that I don’t want to talk about it in any more detail” - and “Hanging in there” being “I’m managing, but only barely.”
So both, while not being a cause for alarm by a surface reading, are actually (commonly) given out when significantly distressed.
deleted by creator
Unfortunately, I’m not the original creator of the post; you’d have to ask them for more droll observations of common American responses (and their deeper meanings) by race.
“Still breathing”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” (usually used at work)
“Oh you know. How are you?”
I like dropping, “It’s not, but how are you?” an easy and more polite way of saying “you don’t give two shits about me, so let’s talk about you.”
I do that way too often and… I wonder if it’s not a special kind of self poisoning.
It most undoubtedly is, but it keeps me from saying worse when I don’t want to play fine.
“Moving forward at a rate of 1 second per second.”
Usually at work, in meetings.
“it is what it is”
“sure is”
How’s it going?
Haha, you know it!
“Somehow I’ve managed to remain alive.”
My favourite is similar “I continue to live”
Alternatively: “Despite my best efforts, I remain alive.”
the horrors persist, yet so do i
The horrors persist, so must I
My go to is “Ah yeah”, which could mean I’ve not considered it, but also dodges me venting the stress I’m feeling. It’s a win-win.
“…Dealin’…”
Same as ever.
“It’s going” for me isn’t a positive response, but I’d say it’s more neutral than anything. I wonder if age and/or region factor in. If my answer is something like “well, I’m still alive” that definitely means nothing good is going on (or, perhaps more accurately, I can’t see the good because of all the bad at that particular moment).
Yeah for me it’s the same as saying ‘same old same old’ or ‘more of the same’ or ‘same shit different shovel’
