BTW

I find that every now and then a comment finds itself a comfortable beginning in the phrase 'by the way'. Why do we say it?
Why is it in the realm of un-natural to jump straight into the niceness of the haircut? Why does is become "by the way, nice haircut!"Is it to catch attention to your comment? Then why not "Ho!Ho!Ho! Nice Haircut!!!??" Is it to give the recipient of the comment two seconds of time to mentally prepare? Really!?
Or do we, in fact, say 'by the way' to inconspiciously slip the compliment into a casual conversation? To not make it sound like a compliment and just a regular passing comment?
What does it mean anyway?
Oh it IS a 'by the way' haircut but i am generously calling it nice?
Or- the conversation was going somewhere and I spotted this nice-looking change on you 'by the way'. It is not really a part of the agenda.!

I hope it is the last for most of you (At least some!)... 'cuz for me it is. And I love it. And how! So many times i find my conversations slip in and out and in,winding.... smoothly meandering into different thoughts, opinions, experiences, encounters! So many delightful things would have been lost into oblivion sleeping in some small corner of the memory section of my brain.. but then 'by the way' comes along like the morning lark and sings its morning song.. only a tad bit louder! And there go all the tiniest details pouring...!
Other times, when detailed observations have had their due.... some important announcement.. reminder more often... announces itself (yeah! forgotten announcements have to annouce themselves into my counciosness!) For that, thank my (and a few others') heavens for 'by the way'!

I love this wonderful attraction called by the way... you are walking along and you suddenly come across a super colour, a nice person, a deliciously appealing food stall, a compliment, a long due news and so many more things.. which obviously will be a part of some other by the way conversation....! For now, I am just excited about journal'ling' my by the way thoughts so that they don't have to wait for a lovely patient listener! (god bless her soul!)

P.S. What do you think?
BY The WAY - Please share your 'thoughts' with me too! (unless.... no anything will do!)