My Midwestern upbringing lent itself to my use of the colloquialism 'take care' when parting company. At age 24 I returned from the Peace Corps. At that point I started using 'love ya' interchangeably with take care. My female friends understood, but some confusion remained among the male contingency. So for them, I said, "take care" and to my girlfriends "love ya". And everyone seemed to understand.
After returning from the Peace Corps, I had a heart-to-heart with my younger cousin Malcolm. I knew he was going through a really tough time. When I hugged him good-bye that Christmas. I parted with the words, "Take care of yourself, Malcolm". The following Spring, he bought a used car for a thousand dollars, drove to a park and connected the exhaust to the window. He heeded my words.
Fast-forward to July of 2008. All the siblings except one were home for Dad's birthday. Clem was on his way to church. My family was headed to Indianapolis. We shared a sideways hug and then I said, "Take care, Clem." I would never see or touch him again. Now? Now I say any of a number of parting words, including, but not limited to: safe travels, good-bye, adios, see ya, love ya, au revoir, hasta la pasta, a demain, a toute-a-l'heure, manana, so long, but never 'take care'. I reply, 'you, too' when I hear it, but I will never again utter those words to someone I love. I don't think my proclivities will keep my friends and family alive, but I'm not taking any chances. Adieu.
