SNEEZE LOUISE

Alright folks. Its raining and gross outside, and that always puts me in a foul mood. You know why? Because NOTHING is grosser than New York in the rain. Cars splash water everywhere, giant foot-deep puddles roam the streets, and I never EVER remember to bring an umbrella. Luckily, there are kind gentlemen on every corner willing to sell me something that resembles an umbrella and covers me from the rain for abooooout 1.8 seconds. That is, until a gust of wind picks up and turns it into sad sidewalk art.

But the worst part about bad New York weather is always the subway. Even with a light rain, the trains runs slower, it's more crowded, everyone is dripping wet, and the whole car smells like a wet dog. And today was no different. People shoved onto the car, the conductor is skipping different stations willy nilly, and some old man is breathing a little too heavy on my neck (as if ANY breathing on my neck from this guy wouldn't have been the most uncomfortable feeling I've ever experienced). Suddenly and without warning, the lady next to sneezed the LOUDEST two sneezes I've ever heard. And I mean loud. I'm jamming out to some Miley (don't you dare judge me), and she totally interrupted my rocking, even though MC was partying real hard in the USA (it gets me jacked up for my day, OK???).

Well, I consider myself a nice southern gentleman, so I turn to the subway sneeze lady and tell her "Gesundheit!" (little known fact, Gesundheit is Yiddush for health. See? We're such an educational blog). Just after I say this, she sneezed a third time, and I told her "Gawblessyou" (English for "Gesundheit", I think?). THEN she throws out a fourth, enormous, lung clearing bruiser of a sneeze.

Now, this sneezer is a total stranger, we're on a crowded subway, and I've already given my 2 canned responses to the sneeze. No way I'm throwing another out to this lady. But it got me thinking. In a situation when I'm with a person I know and care deeply about, how long is this sneeze response madness supposed to go on for?

So readers, I ask you this,

Am I supposed to throw out a "Gesundheit" or "Gawblessyou" everytime a friend of mine sneezes?