Losing the human touch

For the last couple days I have been seized with a fear that I am losing my human touch...the fragments of compassion for the man or woman next to me seems to be fading away.

I was watching Ellen De Generes on HBO this afternoon and she was talking about the evolution of greeting habits. She said we don't really want to hear how someone is feeling. We say "Hi, John, how are you?" and we pray that he says "Great, thanks." We don't want to hear him say "Not, too good". Why?
It is either we are beginning to lose concern for others or we are simply too busy to pay attention to the lives of others?

For me I have to think it is the latter.....

I have never been an overly emotional person but there is a rising disconnect from reality that I am experiencing. Maybe my career choice demands that I listen to the outpouring of the soul and mind too often that I am too drained to address my mind to emotional issues of others.

I find myself passing acquaintances and old family friends on the streets of Kingstown saying "Hi, how are you ______ and saying "I am fine thank you" on the same breath...without waiting for their reply. Sometimes, I cannot fill in the blank space and I can only hope that my winning smile will conquer that failure to recall their names.

There must be a remedy...a solution to what must be defined as a social travesty. Except I cannot seem to determine what it could be...am I too busy to formulate one at least for myself?
But I will endeavour to start small and maybe even a little cliche...do a good deed everyday. Some word of encouragement...an act of kindness...something that I am not required to do to satisfy my daily quota of work obligations...something that I chose to do.