THE Awkward Question

I'm pretty much an open book. You can ask me just about anything on any given day and I'm happy to answer it...in some way, shape or form. Even if it's personal, I don't mind. You can ask me things you would probably never ask anyone else and I'll typically have a pretty straightforward answer. This may make me sound vain but I actually enjoy talking about myself. (Hello?! Reason #56982 why I blog!)

There is, however, one question that I've been asked a lot lately and it is, hands down, one of the most awkward questions I have to answer.

Any guesses?

While some of your minds go straight to the baby question, you can get that answer here.

(And NO, that's not the question I'm talking about.)

While others may think I'm referring to the question "Are those things REAL?", that's not it either.

(Sarcasm, people. Sarcasm.)

I'm actually referring to a question that seems quite simple, but for me, it automatically puts me into panic mode. It sends me racing through my thoughts trying to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to respond with a legitimate answer.

"So what have you been up to lately?"

Typically it's asked by family or friends that I haven't seen in a while. You know...old sorority sisters, random 2nd cousins, parent's co-workers, etc...

And I know this may seem elementary to some of you but me?

I find it to be one of the toughest questions to answer.

My first thought is, clearly, "Well I DO have a blog and if you read it YOU WOULD KNOW!!" But then I step down from my soap box and realize that Facebook is apparently where all the "official" news happens these days and well since I don't have Facebook, you had no idea that I was even alive.

Then I start to think "Well crap. What have I been up to?"

Hmmm...lets see. "I'm an old married woman now. I have a job that I am extremely passionate about. I work out 3 to 4 times a week and I watch the Bachelor every Monday night. I like long walks on the beach and passionate kisses from my husband. (ha). I also have the privilege of traveling quite a bit, too." To me, life is great but with and answer like that, I can see how someone may think I'm less than interesting.

So then I think, "Shit. Am I that lame?"

Until I ask the same exact question back expecting some outrageous answer where they tell me how freakishly awesome life has been for them and how they traveled the world in a hot air balloon or something ridiculous but instead, I get just about the same exact answer.

Phew. Dodged a bullet there and it turns out I'm not that lame afterall. Please tell me I'm not the only one that feels uber awkward when asked this question!

Thanks for listening to me justify my answer. Ta ta, friends!