A few weeks ago I received an email from a stranger. The subject: “Overuse of the word ‘like’ in audio piece on NPR.” The message was from a woman named Patty who noted that my recent interview would have been “much more palatable” if I had not used the word “like” so often. Almost fifty times in fourteen minutes, she said. Yes, she counted. “I would have considered purchasing your book but I was so annoyed by the end of the piece this morning that I was completely uninterested,” she concluded.
I loved this essay, Mandy! "I wanted Patty to see me as a whole and complex person. And in writing to her, I started seeing us both that way." Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story with us and I'm so glad that your carefully crafted email back to Patty had a happy ending for both of you. This doesn't always happen (quite the opposite), so it was great to read that things ended well with you two. This is a good reminder to me to try to practice kindness, even when I don't feel like being kind.
What a wonderful mini-essay, Mandy. Thank you. At the beginning, I was filled with indignation on your behalf. (As someone whose classmates counted the 52 "ums" in my 8th grade public speaking event and reported the number to me afterwards, I can relate!) But your response was so generous and so kind (even if it didn't start in kindness) and so brave, too, in that you let yourself be vulnerable with this person instead of hiding and closing down, which is what we so often do. Beautifully written and expressed.
I really enjoyed reading this. The next time, I come across a difficult situation, I would take a moment to respond and not react immediately.
I loved this essay, Mandy! "I wanted Patty to see me as a whole and complex person. And in writing to her, I started seeing us both that way." Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story with us and I'm so glad that your carefully crafted email back to Patty had a happy ending for both of you. This doesn't always happen (quite the opposite), so it was great to read that things ended well with you two. This is a good reminder to me to try to practice kindness, even when I don't feel like being kind.
What a wonderful mini-essay, Mandy. Thank you. At the beginning, I was filled with indignation on your behalf. (As someone whose classmates counted the 52 "ums" in my 8th grade public speaking event and reported the number to me afterwards, I can relate!) But your response was so generous and so kind (even if it didn't start in kindness) and so brave, too, in that you let yourself be vulnerable with this person instead of hiding and closing down, which is what we so often do. Beautifully written and expressed.