Priorities

A few days ago I walked into the coffee room at work and bumped into one of our plant managers. We exchanged polite bonjours and I tried not to let my eyes reveal the fact that I knew he would soon be leaving our ranks, not entirely by choice.

"How are you today?" he asked in English.

"Oh...I could be better" I answered honestly, edging toward the coffee machine. Times had been tough in my neck of the office.

"Well," he said kindly, "how's your health?"

I hate small talk. But it did occur to me that at 31 years old, one can take good health for granted. I thought about this for a few seconds while the machine poured my coffee and answered,

"Ok, I have my health."

"Good." he said, smiling. "Now. How's your love life?"

My brain briefly calculated the odds that he was checking my availability and decided that the honest answer was the best:

"Um. My love live is good."

"Ok then" he concluded with a concise nod. "That's all you need now, isn't it?"

"I guess you're right."

Then he put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and walked out, and I never saw him again. And now he's unemployed, but I hope he meant what he said, and that he's happier than I am now.