“So, how was your summer?”
We all ask it. We all get asked it.
It’s that time again. The start to the endless cycle of questioning that begins each time we move back onto campus, full of polite and common small talk.
Quite simply our answers go something like, “Great! How was yours?” or “Oh just fine, and you?” Perhaps if we’re lucky we will find what we think to be a refreshingly honest answer with the quick but serious, “Well, actually kind of slow and boring.”
These questions will eventually lead to companion inquiries, “Are you excited for the year?” “What classes are you taking?” And somewhere down the road they will evolve to fit the demands of the calendar when the inquirer starts to wonder, “So, how are those classes starting off?”
“Well everything was plugging along fine,” you’ll think, “until I had to answer this question for the 10th time.”
“Getting ready for midterms?” We will all listen for this question about this time next month, followed inevitably by, “Any plans for Thanksgiving?” mixed in with the ever popular, “Can you believe finals are almost here?” Then we can only hope we will have at least a week somewhere in there to get all of the “What are you doing for break?” gems off of our chests.
Next semester we will look forward to queries about Interterm classes, spring break trips and summer plans.
This is not to step on the toes. In fact, you have got it right.
Most of you ask out of a sincere motivation hoping to fish out some interesting conversation or stumble upon a unique commonality.
But before we can fish anything out, sometimes it helps us to wet our feet in the conversation pond.
These questions are useful as tools to catch up with a long lost friend or get to know a new face on campus.
They serve as reminders that a simple question can become more.
When commonality is found and interest piqued, we see that this simple small talk was a route to a deeper and richer conversation.
I can’t ignore the comedy of questions as we make our way through the year, but these questions seem to link us. If we pay close enough attention, we might realize that no matter how small the talk, the conversation can end up being much larger.
So, how was your summer?