"Excuse Me!"

"Excuse Me!" is one of the phrases that can be delivered in vastly different ways. In my youth and early adult years, I was notorious for throwing down apologies for everything. Things that were not even within my control, I found a way to apologize. One day I was told how insincere I was actually being. I was hurt by the assumption that I wasn't being genuine. But the truth is I really wasn't. I was a bit full of myself to believe that I held the key to people's happiness and by apologizing it was going to change their attitutde to one of joy. Old habits are hard to break, and I continue this practice today without even giving it a second thought. Then there is the other "Excuse Me!" The one said in a moment of despiration. It is uttered with a harsh tone and often a raised eyebrow. It is the cry of a person that feels slighted or put out. It is reactionary and can take a situation from calm to explosive in a matter of seconds. It is not kind and it doesn't seek to truly understand the actions or intentions of someone else. Rather it is judgemental and seeks to elevate one person over another. I too have engaged in this practice too many times. Insincere apolgies or condescending acquisations do little to make a situation better. In fact it's sort of a lazy practice. I am working to replace these with a little more mindfullness and grace.