[Magdalen] Like I Was Puzzled.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I've had several people visiting my home recently whose every other  
sentence
begins with "Like I was...." of some such.  These were not teenagers,  but
adults in their 40's and 50's.
 
I've been aware of this rage for describing usually something in the  past
with descriptions beginning with "Like", but I wasn't aware such  usage
has crept so far into the general USA population.  I have no clue  about 
this
phenomenon in other English speaking areas of the world.
 
This "like" business has become chronic and pervasive in the USA, and
my question is about whether this is a fad, or marks  a chronic change
in spoken English.  If it is long term, it demonstrates a  trivialization of
the language IMHO.
 
Anyone have any thoughts about this "like" usage and predictions  about
its continued usage?
 
 
David S.