Taken aback? Nonplussed? Well. You did ask.
Yes, a casual question, more a greeting than
anything, one that young people are prone
to answering with a chirpy 'Fantastic!' The
fellow towering over you is the very image
of a robust and hale specimen in his 6ft+
glory, a former military man. Albeit one who
wears a pacemaker and a hearing aid. You
did notice that his stride through the forest
trail as he approached was slow favouring
one side with a slight limp. But you asked.
It is the polite, civil greeting of people who
haven't seen one another in a while.... You
know him to be emotionally distant, possibly
anticipated nothing more than a breezy 'fine!'
but that's not what you got, as you stood there
nodding and commiserating. That he chose you
among his acquaintances to hear his explication
of elderly debilitation likely meant he needed to
vent, feeling your ear to be a compassionate one
not looking for sympathy ... just ... sharing.
So shed that discomfort and add a casual but
caring air of someone who knows all about
an aging body in a state of decline ... empathize.
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