In the words of one of the greatest men to ever grace comedy, Mr. John Mulaney, “You could pour soup in my lap and I’ll probably apologize to you.” I’ve spent my entire life apologizing for things I wasn’t really sorry for, so much so that the word “sorry” has lost its meaning for me. I say it when I’m doing something that warrants no apology, when someone else is inconveniencing ME, when I’m doing absolutely NOTHING, but yet I feel that someone else is affected negatively by my actions. As I’m writing this, I said sorry for my backpack falling over into the aisle during class. There was literally no reason for an apology, but society has conditioned us to believe that everything we do has to be for the benefit of others. If it doesn’t benefit someone else, it warrants an apology.
I’m not saying I’m perfect in my ways and that I never do something that warrants an apology. What I am saying is that the overuse of the word “sorry” has effectively ruined its power and meaning for me. Saying it feels like going through the motions, even when I genuinely am sorry. My mother used to tell me that my actions speak louder than words, and just saying sorry isn’t enough. If you are genuinely sorry, you need to let that speak through your actions, your demeanor, and your intentions, not just your words.
I still slip up every now and then, I’ll catch myself saying sorry for things that I have no reason to apologize for. What is important is that I catch myself and fix it. I need to return value to the word “sorry”, and the only way to do that is by reclaiming the word for what it truly means. I’m done saying sorry when someone is holding the door for me and I’m a few feet away. I’m done saying sorry when my bag falls over in the aisle. I’m done saying sorry for reaching for things I am not sorry for. I encourage you to do the same.