When Someone Says To You Buenos Dias, What Do You Respond? I Think This Will Bring A Chuckle To You. At Least I Hope It Will.

Last week I was walking and an older gentleman passed by when he was walking and said Good Morning to me and then as he passed by he also said Buenos Dias. I had to think a second as I kept walking and my mind registered what the phrase meant. By the time I said to myself, oh I think he said to me to have a good day in Spanish. I had a delayed thought of what the correct response in Spanish would be. I thought to myself that when I continue walking and cross his path again I will say to him, "Estoy bien gracias." I completed my walk and never crossed paths that day. Guess what? It may have been a few days passed, until the other day. I saw this gentleman walking in the morning and as we were to cross each others path I stopped and told him that I thought too late to respond to his Buenos Dias the other day and that I think I should have said Estoy Bien Gracias. He responded yes to my response. I then shared that I had a little bit of Spanish in college. He also repeated Buenos Dias. I think he was trying to let me know that that was suppose to be my response. I just kept on walking and then I looked it up later on the meaning of the phrases. Oh my, my response was not correct. I should have responded back Buenos Dias. My initial response means, "I am well thanks." That man must have shook his head and thought to himself that lady really does not know Spanish very well.
As I thought it over I remembered that in Spanish class we would greet others with this phrase "Buenos Dias como estas?"  That is why I remembered the phrase estoy bien gracias. That was the standard response.
You see, when this person spoke to me in Spanish right away the kind, elderly professor came to my mind and what I was taught sitting in his classes in college. He was the nicest professor. He looked a little bit like Santa Claus but with an Irish sounding name. We would call him Senor _______. I will not share his name but I still chuckle to myself when I think of how we addressed him. A very Irish person teaching Spanish. Maybe I am the only one that sees the humor in that. I have fond memories of taking Spanish with this professor and apparently I did learn from the classes, well, at least enough to be able to state the right response. Well, maybe not with what I just shared. Now, did this little story cause you to smile or maybe even chuckle? As I am writing this and remembering it it actually caused me to laugh.  Guess what, another phrase I still remember is this one, "Que hora es?" If my memory serve me correct I think it means I am asking what time is it. Is it not funny how one remembers quirky little things like that?