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August 25, 2009 |
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Christmas Apology
FOUND by Charlotte M.
in Killam Library, Halifax, Canada
I found this note while I was putting books away.
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Panhandlers For... August 30, 2006 |
Human Beings ... January 30, 2008 |
Mark My Words... August 31, 2003 |
The Stranger September 21, 2007 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
Wow. It's nice to see someone acknowledge and apologize for their crappy behavior. But a form letter? A phone call would be much better and would leave no trace for strangers to post online and discuss!
This is sort of odd or ironic, I think. This cold letter, seemingly written in "task mode" apologizing for being cold and in "task mode" on Christmas. Also, the writer says "there is no excuse" but proceeds to make excuses anyway.
I agree, a phone call would be better. Just say, "We were asses, we are so sorry."
I wonder if Matthew is an infant (their first child) or a Special Needs child.
I mismanage myself quite frequently. Should I consider a form letter?
Kinda cold and reptilian. Or maybe just brusque.
On another note, when I typed in foundmagazine.com, I got the "whoops! we ran into a little problem!" page, and I had to actually use my brane to get here this AM.. so I hope all is well in Found Land.
(and the date at the top says July 27, 2006. Not even channeled to some random Found from the Archives.)
I think Matthew is her husband. It makes it so much more amusing... (especially the part with him enjoying the [his] balls, and things with wheels.)
And when I say We" I mean "I"...
Matthew sounds like a special needs child. The Form Letter is just another example of how this lady (i'm assuming it's written by the mom) needs to just chill.
I don't see how you read "special needs child" into this letter. Could have been written by me when my own first child was young, and I was anal about napping 'schedules' and trying to spend time with two different families at the holidays. Hope these parents learned to go with the flow as time went on...
Or, "How I Alienated The Whole Family Over Christmas Vacation." Even the far-away relatives we seldom see or hear from...and now you know why.
I imagine Matthew as a toddler...perhaps the first grandchild. When he was a newborn he was cute...now he's a tyrant and Mommy knows why.
"Whether it was conscious or not...." Why, which was it, aren't you sure? Were you conscious at all that weekend?
"In any event"...that's the real kicker. "Now that I've got this stupid duty letter out of the way, and have been reinstated in the will, I can get on with my own life!" The person will apologise for their behavior while at the same time accepting no responsibility for it!
If it didn't specifically mention Matthew and Vancouver, this could have been written by my mother.
"You are going to have a good time on this trip whether you want to or not! Now SMILE and act pleasant!"
Oh, yes. I remember them well.
This reminds me of my sister-in-law. my nephew is named Matthew. Some people are so uptight.
@ me not injoying. I'm not sure why i think Matthew is special needs. Just a hunch, i guess, but in my experience, parents of kids with special needs are just that much more stressed by family get togethers, and 'will people understand my kid and their specialness'. I know i was always quite militant about my kids nap times too (NEVER wake a sleeping child), i think its the way she thanked people for the toys received, and described his happiness with the balls and wheely things. I could be sooooo wrong, and probably am.
I think Matt is a special needs child as well. I'm not sure why, just a gut feeling. but you are right he could just be really young too.
My spam protection was based on the color wheel, that was kind of fun!
To Whom It May Concern:
I 'apologize' for 'using' too many 'quotation marks' in my previous 'letter'.
I don't think Matthew is "special needs". My ex-sister in law is adamant about schedules and frequently ruins visits because of her anal attitude. Unfortunately, she has never seen the need to apologize.
I also had teh feeling that Matthew was a special needs child. It could be because I work with that population, but I do think it has more to do with the way she described the gifts and his enjoyment of them.
Also, my mom made me write a form letter to my cousin and aunt for "misbehaving" when I was probably 11. I basically called my cousin out for not disciplining her small child and they got mad.
Brain. Apologize. Enjoying. Get it right. The red line appears for a reason.
I thought he was adopted because it sounds as if the entire family showered him with gifts for the first time.
Then again, I suppose they would have said something about this being his first christmas with the fam.
Maybe he is adopted AND has special needs. Special needs other than 'balls and things with wheels', that is!
Halifax to Vancouver is an awfully long distance."awfully...one l or two?)
"Firstly" sounds dumb to me. Especially without a "secondly".
New parents. Gotta love 'em.
Bah!
Humbug!
oh..i totally disagree with the idea that the form letter is impersonal..shit, maybe they tried to call..and everyone hit the F You button on their cell phones..i'm so jealous..just imagine if you had this from your own family..evidence of an apology..evidence of admittal of fault..dude i would take this out and laugh at it every...well, if not everyday, then definitely every time i was pullin' up to their house..yeah, i would drop quotes from that letter in casual conversation at every family gathering..hmmmmmm...yeah..we dont get together that much..
(Firstly and secondly, I'll take a hint from Nightengale)
Firstly, I'm pretty sure Matthew has special needs, and my best guess is he has Asperger's. Secondly, I'm pretty sure this letter is from an entire family of Aspies. This letter is obviously so Asperger's. I only know this because of numerous friends and family members with this unique brain-wiring. People (non-Aspies) are way too hard on them. A letter like this should be accepted for what it is: an honest attempt at connection and communication. I mean, really. We're all different, and some people just don't get the social cues the rest of us get. They can't help it.
Hey Laruen in Witchita... I can't speak for the other misspellers here in today's comments but I for one used BRANE intentionally. Humor. or something. Ovcoarse!
I imagine you being very much like the overbearing anal author of the Find of the Day.
Ack!!! The "self-help" book "speech" is driving me "crazy"!!
"Thanks for giving my kid all the toys. Sorry I was a bitch. Let's do it all again next year, when my little pills have kicked in."
There. 'Nuff said.
And my interpretation on the situation? I think Matthew's an only grandchild in a large group of great aunts/uncles. If anyone else at the reunion had children, the author would have commisserated (sp?) during a diaper-changing session and the situation would have never gotten this far outta hand.
But maybe I'm just transferring memories of my own trek "home" with the baby...
I wasn't even there and I hate these people.
I don't see anything wrong with this apology letter. In fact, I had no idea writing a letter was considered "cold." I often write instead of calling or talking face-to-face because it gives me time to think carefully about what I want to say, plus I can't be caught off guard by something the other person says and respond with something stupid. So, that makes me "reptilian?" Great. Apparently I'm screwed no matter what I do. Next time I just won't GO to the stupid Christmas party.
For the record, I wrote all of the above except the last sentence as my own, first-person reflection before I realized it could have been written by the person who wrote the letter. I have Asperger's, and like Blackbird, I wouldn't be surprised if the letter-writer did too. If they were just a jerk, like many here seem to think, why would they be apologizing at all?