When did a simple thank you for shopping with us become so inadquate that it has to be followed with some kind of personal religious reference? The argument is that "have a blessed day" is as inocuous a remark as "bless you" after someone has sneezed. If this person just kindly wishes that I have a good day then why can't she/he just say that? To use the word "blessed" is to insert an element of Christianity or religious reference right here in the middle of this local grocery store and nothing makes me more prickly than that.
Unless I have been more alienated than I believe, this is a relatively new development in greetings, at least new within the last decade. I'm sure if I reflected on this long enough I could find some reason to blame all this religious bravado on Ronald Reagan. Actually.... it doesn't take me long at all. After all, it was during the Reagan years that we saw this religious right revolution and their efforts to push the country back to the dark ages. Yet, it is my sense that it was the George W. Bush religious bravado and chest pounding that gave religious people the courage to speak out to others with such confidence. Reagan and Bush were both accused of using "code" words to religous voters to keep them voting strictly GOP. I personally can't think of two people less religiously equipped than these two, except in their ability to court and accept the votes (pause briefly to catch my breath from laughing at the very thought!).
It is really quite easy to keep religion in churches, if you'll try. I see absolutely no reason to bring it into the grocery store just to irritate me on such a lovely day.
(graphic from somelikeitscott on HubPages)
4 comments:
You’re response should have been “no thanks, I had mine yesterday” after seeing the miracle of an Alabama victory. Back to the ‘blessed day’ comment. I don’t care for it either. I’ve been to a business that takes it even further. They asked if I would like to take a ‘blessing’ from their ‘blessings basket’. No thanks. And I don’t want any of their Kool Aid either.
Thad - Just now able to talk about it, are you?
I hate to snap at someone unexpectedly, particularly when they've probably given it no thought at all. Comments like that remind me of white people who think they can make a racist remark to you and it be okay, just because you happen to be white also. There is just no polite way to tell someone to stop.
Blessed doesn't just have religios conotations. It can also mean happiness and good fortune. I'm not saying she didn't mean it religiously (since I'm also in the south and I know the question "where do you go to church" is more common than "how are you"), but still it could mean other things.
Pam - Thanks for your willingness to comment on this topic. I use the word 'blessed' myself; I consider myself blessed in the happy/good fortune definition. If someone in, say, Santa Fe said this to me, I might take it as such. Here in Alabama, I can't help but believe it is religious-based. It's not a battle I choose to fight daily, but I'm always willing to over-analyze!
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