Be Well

That phrase and Stay Well, commonly used in place of a nice, to the point adieu annoy the shit outta me. What do they even mean? Are they reminders that I shouldn’t overeat or drink too much (if at all), exercise more, breathe deep, stay off the news and opinion sites which inevitably blow up my stress levels?

Cool, cool.

As consistently as I’m able, I’m already on that train. I don’t necessarily need the prompt but, if you’re a good friend, I get it. I understand that it’s meant in a caring, loving way.

As for my larger issues, I can’t magically, at the drop of a well meant Cheerio, shrink or delete my virulent tumor squads. Those fuckers have minds of their own and there’s only so much I can control through eating right and exercising more. I can and do keep after my tumor team — make sure they don’t forget about me or lose me in the stacks though.

On it and, again, I understand the affection, the intention when it’s coming from a chum.

If you’re not a tight pal or cherished aquantance though, it comes off as a tossed off empty-headed, thoughtless gesture  — more about burnishing the speaker’s caring-person cred than any real kindness.

Be well just feels like a weird, tone deaf, socially graceless, fluffy way to sign off, to say a simple so long to someone as medically compromised as yurs truly. Honestly, just give me a simple wave and a Cheers. That works great and isn’t in any way hollow or insensitive.

Maybe Be/Stay Well is just another, shorter way of saying ‘it was nice to see you.’ Possibly it’s a less affected, non-yoga club version of namaste. In current Hindi, by the way, this just means “greetings to you.’

Namaste was once defined to me as meaning  “the 'something' in my soul bows to the 'something something' in yours.” Or some shit like that. I don’t see backing for that anywhere but, hells bells, what do I know? Must be a yoga club thing, I guess.

If we’re gonna go deep on the farewell front, why not go with the Navajo phrase of ‘walk in beauty/balance?’ I like that MUCH better. Seems more down to earth, meaningful, tuned in.

Or, more simply (thank you, Ten!), Yá’át’ééh This literally means: it is good or it is well. Yá’át’ééh is the uszh for hello but it can also be used as an au revoir.

Possibly Be/Stay Well is just a verbal hug? I expect it depends entirely on who's saying it and it’s surely welcome. BUT, again, that depends entirely on whose saying it.

Frankly, I prefer Hang Tough...it feels like a hard edged but totally affectionate, caring-biker, fighter so long and thanks for all the fish. Daddy always used to say that (hang tough, not the Hitchhiker's fish line). 

 Works for me.