Good Morning!

Good (pick one - morning, afternoon, evening, night)!

Ever wonder why we say, “Good morning!” to someone, especially when either the speaker or the one spoken to has just gotten up? If I have just gotten up and I say, “Good morning!” to you, how do I know if it really is a good morning or not, because I have just gotten up? Or if I say, “Good morning!” to you when you have just gotten up, how do I know that you are having a good morning?

Maybe you didn’t sleep well. Maybe you got up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe you had a dream about a guy named Carl who drives a big motorcycle into your living room right while you are watching your favorite soap opera, which causes your living room to fall into the swimming pool. Or insert your own favorite dream there. I haven’t personally had that dream. Yet.

But anyway, for whatever reason, you aren’t necessarily having a good morning. And then I come along and cheerily say to you with a smile on my face, “Good morning!” And it is really anything but a good morning. What do you do? Do you say, “No way, man. I just had a dream about a guy named Carl. And it wasn’t good, because how is the insurance going to pay for all that damage from the living room falling into the pool?” Do you just grit your teeth and in return growl, “Good morning!”? Or do you just smile and nod, hoping to be left alone?

Evidently, this whole “Good morning” phrase has more to do with a wish than an actual statement of fact. Or at least that is what I have come to understand. Maybe it is that we are wishing to the other person that he will actually have a good morning, even though his bed head may indicate otherwise. Assuming he has enough hair to have bed head.

So, good morning! Whether it actually is or not.