Thursday, September 09, 2004
Hi there
Now that students are back at HLS for classes, I'm again seeing all the people I know. I've noticed (with the astute observation of some friends) that there are four levels of friendship here at Harvard, and it's easy to tell who falls into what level of friendship by noticing how you greet them when you first see them:
1. Nod your head or wave and smile. No verbal contact. Keep walking past.
2. Physically acknowledge the person with a wave or nod, and say, "Hey Jimbo, how's it goin'?" as if you've seen him every day for the last four months. Keep walking past.
3. Pause in your walking and say, "Hey, Jimbo! Good to see you! How was your summer?" Wait for a superficial response ("Great. I was in New York."), then "Well, it's good seeing you again. Take care." and keep going.
4. Actually stop and have a real conversation with the person. Talk about specifics, ask about classes, laugh.
The cream of the crop--the people you're really friends with--the people you'll keep in contact with after graduation? Those are the people you hug (unless they're a guy! Ew!).
1. Nod your head or wave and smile. No verbal contact. Keep walking past.
2. Physically acknowledge the person with a wave or nod, and say, "Hey Jimbo, how's it goin'?" as if you've seen him every day for the last four months. Keep walking past.
3. Pause in your walking and say, "Hey, Jimbo! Good to see you! How was your summer?" Wait for a superficial response ("Great. I was in New York."), then "Well, it's good seeing you again. Take care." and keep going.
4. Actually stop and have a real conversation with the person. Talk about specifics, ask about classes, laugh.
The cream of the crop--the people you're really friends with--the people you'll keep in contact with after graduation? Those are the people you hug (unless they're a guy! Ew!).
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