Stop Saying Sorry
I used to say sorry a lot, but it had nothing to do with actually being sorry. It was just a thing to say. I'm Nigerian and we say that word a lot, almost as a term of endearment sometimes. But nonetheless, I found myself saying it unnecessarily in situations where it should have not been inserted. Like at work, with random strangers, and with acquaintances. I have been asked a couple of times why I was sorry. I always thought it was not a big deal but on the contrary, it is. Whether I was using it my way or not, it might come off as insecure and I am not insecure. I got a proper insight into the anti-sorry perspective because I ran into a sorry-ass person. I had gone to pick up my pizza and the cashier said sorry and apologized for every little thing she did. When I walked in, she gave me my receipt, unfortunately, both our hands kind of missed each other and she was immediately nervously sorry. When she was printing the receipt and told me where to sign she randomly said “sorry”. Immediately after that she quickly apologized for my pizza being late. But it wasn't late, she just needed to walk to the back and bring it to me. Was she nervous?
My goal when I drove to retrieve my pizza was not to make anyone feel nervous, I felt disheartened knowing I was possibly making her nervous. It got to the point where she apologized for every step she took, I had to intervene. I let her know she didn't have to be sorry about anything. I could feel her release the unnecessary stress she was building up when I said that. If you apologize excessively, please practice not using the S word daily. If you generally have a reason to apologize then do so. But, you shouldn't be waiting to use that word like it's the only piece of vocabulary you've ever learned. You have no reason to be sorry for existing. Plus, we all make mistakes, I am 100% sure no one is going to kill you for them. I clearly see how I might have come off the people who did not understand the culture behind me saying sorry. But nonetheless, I don’t use it as much especially when it's not needed.
Mary