I haven't had a chance to...
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 4:48 pm
Yeah, it's rant time.
Ever send someone an E-mail to ask someone a question, or check on something, or some other very simple thing, and you hear nothing back? And then, days or weeks later, you encounter that person and say "Hey, did you get my E-mail?" And they tell you something like this...
"Oh, I just didn't get a chance to check my E-mail."
...
I hate hearing that, because it's a lie. Why not just admit you forgot? Or just didn't get around to it?
"Dude, We've been waiting for your post on the Message Board for your next move in the Warhammer Campaign."
"Oh ok. Yeah I just haven't had the chance to get on and check the board."
I want to just throttle someone for that. Like, do they really expect me to believe that all this time they've been so overwhelmingly busy that they just couldn't find 2 minutes to log in, check messages, and maybe but out a quick reply? Seriously? Because if that's the case they need to either dial things down a bit or hire a personal assistant. I bet their Facebook got updated like clockwork, though.
I get it. I know "I didn't get a chance" is often used as one of those little white lies we toss out there on a daily basis that really doesn't mean what it says, but it isn't socially acceptable not to accept the excuse.
"Did you watch that DVD I loaned you yet?"
"Aw, no man... I haven't had a chance to."
What you WANT to say:
"But I gave it to you in October..."
What social norms make you say:
"Oh, ok. Well you'll like it when you do..."
Don't you hate that? Essentially by telling you that, the person is expecting credit for really, really wanting to do whatever it is, but the pressures of daily life have meant the opportunity to do it has eluded them.
"Hey, did you remember to bring that book with you?"
"No... I didn't get a chance to get it out of the box."
The truth: They forgot.
The fiction you're being sold: "No I didn't bring it because, even though I agreed to get it out of the box in my closet two weeks ago, I literally haven't had 5 minutes to myself to go into that closet, open the box, and get the book out. It's a miracle I've had time to eat any meals at all in the last two weeks. It's just been one thing after another in my hectic, insanely busy, fast paced life!"
Well, I say we start calling people out on it! I say we abandon a social norm that says people can blow you off and not be called out on it!
"Hey, where's that twenty you promised me?"
"Oh jeez dude I'm sorry... I didn't get a chance to stop by the ATM this week to get it for you."
"Oh yeah? All this week you didn't pass one single bank, convenience store or gas station where you could have gone to the ATM to get the money for me?"
"Well... I just didn't want to pay the ATM fee so I have to go to my own bank."
"Yeah? Your bank 100 miles away?"
"Huh?"
"Is your bank 100 miles away?"
"No, why?"
"Then you could have made an effort to swing by your bank to get that twenty bucks at some point this week."
"Like I said, I just didn't have a chance to..."
"BULL. You mean to tell me you were running late to work every single day this week, and couldn't detour to the bank on the way in? What about on the way hom? Was it imperative that you race straight home every single night for the last 5 days and so you couldn't bother to go get the money you PROMISED me?"
"I just..."
Yeah.
/rant
Ever send someone an E-mail to ask someone a question, or check on something, or some other very simple thing, and you hear nothing back? And then, days or weeks later, you encounter that person and say "Hey, did you get my E-mail?" And they tell you something like this...
"Oh, I just didn't get a chance to check my E-mail."
...
I hate hearing that, because it's a lie. Why not just admit you forgot? Or just didn't get around to it?
"Dude, We've been waiting for your post on the Message Board for your next move in the Warhammer Campaign."
"Oh ok. Yeah I just haven't had the chance to get on and check the board."
I want to just throttle someone for that. Like, do they really expect me to believe that all this time they've been so overwhelmingly busy that they just couldn't find 2 minutes to log in, check messages, and maybe but out a quick reply? Seriously? Because if that's the case they need to either dial things down a bit or hire a personal assistant. I bet their Facebook got updated like clockwork, though.
I get it. I know "I didn't get a chance" is often used as one of those little white lies we toss out there on a daily basis that really doesn't mean what it says, but it isn't socially acceptable not to accept the excuse.
"Did you watch that DVD I loaned you yet?"
"Aw, no man... I haven't had a chance to."
What you WANT to say:
"But I gave it to you in October..."
What social norms make you say:
"Oh, ok. Well you'll like it when you do..."
Don't you hate that? Essentially by telling you that, the person is expecting credit for really, really wanting to do whatever it is, but the pressures of daily life have meant the opportunity to do it has eluded them.
"Hey, did you remember to bring that book with you?"
"No... I didn't get a chance to get it out of the box."
The truth: They forgot.
The fiction you're being sold: "No I didn't bring it because, even though I agreed to get it out of the box in my closet two weeks ago, I literally haven't had 5 minutes to myself to go into that closet, open the box, and get the book out. It's a miracle I've had time to eat any meals at all in the last two weeks. It's just been one thing after another in my hectic, insanely busy, fast paced life!"
Well, I say we start calling people out on it! I say we abandon a social norm that says people can blow you off and not be called out on it!
"Hey, where's that twenty you promised me?"
"Oh jeez dude I'm sorry... I didn't get a chance to stop by the ATM this week to get it for you."
"Oh yeah? All this week you didn't pass one single bank, convenience store or gas station where you could have gone to the ATM to get the money for me?"
"Well... I just didn't want to pay the ATM fee so I have to go to my own bank."
"Yeah? Your bank 100 miles away?"
"Huh?"
"Is your bank 100 miles away?"
"No, why?"
"Then you could have made an effort to swing by your bank to get that twenty bucks at some point this week."
"Like I said, I just didn't have a chance to..."
"BULL. You mean to tell me you were running late to work every single day this week, and couldn't detour to the bank on the way in? What about on the way hom? Was it imperative that you race straight home every single night for the last 5 days and so you couldn't bother to go get the money you PROMISED me?"
"I just..."
Yeah.
/rant
