have i ever told you how i feel about the expression "take care"?
i hate it.
i hate it when people sign emails with "take care". it's always a bad sign. i've never had a "take care" go well for me. in fact, i think "take care" is the most offensive general salutation i can think of. it's deceptive in it's use of the word "care". it initally makes one feel positive, it seems like good wishes. but in my experience means "have a nice life". it seems to be used as finishing words, the relationship (whether formal or casual) is now over and they hope that you take care of yourself - FOREVER. i guess the offensive part comes from the finality of it. it makes me feel cut short, like they've had the final say, and often i have more to say, or want to leave the door open to saying more eventually. in a way, i like to finish my correspondence with an elipsis.... because one can never know when our paths may cross again. it feels presumptuous that the end is the end.
sometimes i want to give "take care" the benefit of the doubt. when i see it, i don't want to presume it's a bad omen, but i think too many negative associations with that phrase has ruined it for life. this is difficult, because it makes me presumptuous in return. it creatives a negative atmosphere where the other party probably intended positivity. i'm currently in correspondence with a nice lady over something i'm purchasing from her. everything i see the words "take care" i feel like "hmph! was that necessary??". but i'm trying to remember that "take care" is not a verbal slap in the face. it's odd that i even have to remind myself of that.
this time last year i came across some major military propaganda and it made me ill. it has resurfaced, and once again i'm sickened and left feeling like my head is going to explode. it's very similar to my gut reaction to discrimination. i'm just down right confused by it. i don't understand!
why can't we be friends?
3 comments:
....I say take care all the time. But i truly mean it. I want the person to be well until we meet again, whether that be 10 mins or 10 years.
see... that's what i need to hear. some positive use of the term instead of the negative associations in my head.
perhaps in a few years i'll be quite fond of "take care".
My boss says take care in her emails all the time and it makes my skin crawl with the insincerity of it. Cause I know she doesn't mean it at all. And usually her emails have a condescending undertone that makes me feel much rage so the 'take care' is the icing on the rage cake. I hear you.
(Sorry Jordin - I'm sure some people do say it with sincerity - it just has not been my experience)
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