Sorry

+++ title = “10” date = 2019 +++

The other day, I was walking on the street when a man asked me if I had any money to spare. I replied as I usually do… “sorry.”

For whatever reason, this time, when I said “sorry,” I noticed something interesting about the function of that word in this situation. Which is that it’s an apology, but not an answer to the question of if I have any change to spare.

A complete answer to the question may sound like “No, I’m not giving money out at this time. Sorry.”

But it’s hard to say the first part. It’s hard to say no to someone who is need.

The same goes for job or gig emails. I went back and forth with a hotel about playing in their lobby during my visit, and after some phone calls, they just ghosted me and never got back to me. How hard would it have been to just email back and say no?

Hard, apparently… since we avoid it so much. We don’t want to seem disagreeable, but perhaps it’s worse to be seen as an ineffective communicator.