http://www.hpmendoza.com/this.mp3

So, I just got off the phone with a friend who was sharing his dislike for people who apologize without apologizing.  I was talking about how I grew up in a household where people found other ways to apologize (like never bringing it up and pretending it didn't happen) and how, these days, people think it's brave to apologize via text message, IM, or Post-it as opposed to doing it face to face.

He played devils advocate and said, "Well, it's not easy for a lot of people." (Which is one of my least favorite sayings, seeing as how it's another apology without apologizing.)  "Hey, you know, Chicago put it best when they did 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry.'"

After I hung up with him, I thought about the song and I started to remember the essence of 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry'.  That song SUCKS!

So, I looked up the lyrics and realized that nowhere in the song does he really ever apologize.  He essentially says, "These things happen" and "I want to apologize" but never says "I'm sorry".  IN FACT - the song ends with "You're gonna be the lucky one."

Fuck you, Cetera.

Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is the 1982 version of William Carlos Williams' "This is Just to Say", only without the irony.

So, while most people would spend about ten minutes reading a blog post, I urge you to spend seven minutes listening to one of my favorite clips from This American Life which talks about "apologizing without apologizing."

DOWNLOAD THIS MP3!
http://www.hpmendoza.com/this.mp3

I cut this audio segment out of episode 354: Mistakes Were Made.  It's a great hour of examining the apology with a phenomenally sad and uncomfortable story of one of the leaders in cryonics.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=354

Now, it's back to work...
HP