How are you?

I'm one for conversations. I love chatting...I love talking. I don't like small-talk cos it's awkward. I don't like one-sided conversations either. What I hate the most though, is the "how are you?" that's asked without the slightest interest to know how I am.

More often than not, I find myself having one-sided conversations...cos I'm the curious one, right? I'm the one who'll quiz you and want to know just HOW you are...and you'll give me *gag* one-word answers (aka: conversation murderers) or even worse, brush my reponse to your "how are you" with a swift meandering shot into the whole purpose of you hitting me up in the first place, which is usually preceded by "anyway...".

I guess I can't shy away from the fact that people find me "intriguing". Who is this girl? What's her story? Why does (insert artists' name) speak to/of her? I've read on more occassions than I care to remember that I can't be real...all cos I have conversations with random people who text me on these social networks. So because I'm so "unreal", their "how are you?" usually translates to: "I'm not really interested in how you are or why you have a knee-cap on, I really just want to know how you can get me to link with (insert artists' name)"; or "I'm not really interested in how you are or why you feel so down today, but do you wanna go out on a date with me? I think I'm in love with you". I dunno what definition of social networking others either than myself use, but the whole point is to communicate with people you may find to have common interests with, right?

So when I get non-meaty responses to MY "How are you?", I immediately tune out. It's like when the 5-second rule elapses and you're left with an edible you now have to toss out cos any risks you might think of attempting with it, may just kill you (or kill your soul, in the case of conversations).

Is it not better to just say "Hi Tlale...listen...I just wanted to know if you can give me some light on a) b) and c)..."? I think it is. I prefer THAT to "Hi Tlale, How are? I just wanted to know...".

This can't be too much to ask, surely?