Rashmi Navalpakkam, Week 10 - Just a Simple Two Words

        Two words. Just two simple words. Together, they’re not even long enough to exceed ten characters. They’re not that difficult to pronounce. It’s not like we’ll do something wrong if we say them. To be honest, whenever we say them, it mostly feels like the right thing to do. In fact, it seems so suitable that they just flow off the tongue. So then, if they’re supposed to be this easy to say, why is it so hard to just say it?

        You can’t help but notice that whenever you get ready to say the two words - these two words that are so simple yet have a magnitude of impact - there’s an entire weariful, tiresome process that precedes the moment these two words actually leave your mouth. 

        First, there’s the realization - the “Uh oh, I guess I actually did do something wrong.” Then, there’s the pondering - the “Do I really need to confront it, or is it not even that big of a deal?” After the pondering comes the formulation - the systematic planning of what you’re going to say, the careful choosing of the exact words and phrases, only to forget everything you’ve meticulously planned out when you really need to say it. And so comes the delivery - the moment where all your hard work and planning for the past five minutes (or more if you’re really serious about it) pays off. Yet somehow, as you step up and fiddle with your fingers, you just can’t find the right things to say. It’s like you’re mind’s gone blank. The whole speech you spent cautiously planning out every word to say vanished from your mind without leaving even the slightest trace. You might as well forget about saying the speech because right now. You can’t even bring yourself to say those two simple words. 

        And so you find yourself back in square one, filled with frustration - not at yourself but at these two words. These two words hold so much power over you that you can't even bring yourself to say them. Or maybe it's that they don't hold enough power over you for you to embrace them and easily say them. 

        Regardless, these two words are certainly an enigma. We can easily bring ourselves to say it in the most useless times, yet when it actually matters, we find these words stuck in our throats. These two words - “I’m sorry” - they’re so complex and complicated yet so simple. But if they’re just simple two words, why is it always so hard to say them? 


(Image Credit: Why is it so Hard to Say, 'I'm Sorry?” | by Rob Honzell | Medium)

Comments

  1. Allison February 2, 2024 at 2:40 PM

    I’m not even joking when I say your blog filled me up with suspense. I love how you revealed the two words—”I’m sorry”—at the end, building up a flurry of emotions with your descriptive language. The repetition of “two words” was a great way to emphasize the importance, or should I say power, of these words. When I read the first sentences of your blog, I wondered what those words would be. Love you? You’re hopeless? As I read your blog, I felt as if those words were on the tip of my tongue, yet the ending was still a surprise. “I’m sorry” are truly difficult words to utter, and I’ve struggled with the meaning of those words all too often. Ironically, saying “I’m sorry” actually comes very naturally to me; perhaps I say it even a bit too often. I think the problem is that I have watered down those words from “I’m devastated by my actions and am wholeheartedly sorry; I’m open to your judgment” to “I’m saying these words not because I’m sorry but because it’s easier for me to maintain a good relationship with you.” Now that I think about it, although I’m able to say “sorry” easily, it’s not easy for me to say those words and really mean it in my head. The feelings that you mention in your blog, the way these “two words… are so simple yet have a magnitude of impact,” are relatable since I don’t want to admit my wrongdoing. I actually know someone who really struggles with saying “I’m sorry.” I can count the amount of times he has said sorry for an argument on one hand, and I cannot even recall a specific time he uttered those words at the top of my head. I wonder if he feels this “frustration… at these words” and if he would be able to greatly relate to this blog. Finally, I love the way you formatted this blog just like a short story. I love writing suspenseful elements in my stories and your blog really got me hooked with this buildup of emotion. Now that I’ve covered everything I want to say, I have seven words I want to say as well—hi, Rashmi! I really enjoyed your blog!

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  2. Peter ShrFebruary 6, 2024 at 9:12 PM

    Hi Rashmi! Reading your blog was such a unique experience! I was so surprised to find myself engrossed in the blog itself rather than the topics discussed, as many others have done so far. Your utilization of the mystery of the two words to bring about tension is so well executed. In addition, I appreciate how you increased that tension like a rubber band, tugging on the feeling of not knowing until near the end of your blog. In the meantime, your discussion of the effects of these two words creates a sense of personal importance. Because of the revelation near the end as well as the commentary of these words’ impact preceding it, your blog motivated me to reread it from a new, understanding perspective. In the end, your blog creates such a special way of emphasizing the importance of the phrase, “I’m sorry.” The difficulty of saying it in times of pride is something that I have struggled with. The urge to hear it from people I have wronged is a tremendous emotion. Your analysis of whether these two words hold enough or too much power over oneself was very thought-provoking. It is a statement that is strong in motivating one to seek to improve their character. However, “I’m sorry” is a complex phrase. There are many ways to hinder its sincerity and protect one’s pride. For example, “I’m sorry you feel that way” is an example that shifts the blame on the person wronged while denying any fault in the speaker. Overall, your blog thoroughly discusses the emotional impact of an apology in its sincere form.

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  3. Sampan MehtaFebruary 7, 2024 at 9:37 PM

    Hi Rashmi,
    When I first read your blog, I was puzzled by the title and was wondering what the two words would be. As I continued reading, I was intrigued that the two words you were talking about were “I’m sorry”. From start to finish, this blog was extremely captivating and it’s one of the first I have read using this creative style. Now about those two words, it truly is a struggle to say it out loud, and I have been on both sides of the conversation multiple times. When I am the one in the conversation to say “I’m sorry”, it can be extremely awkward and I usually do not even know how to start. Though the situation varies from person to person, from my personal experience, I have been able to quietly say the words, though it is extremely humiliating. Unfortunately, I have been the other person waiting to receive these two words more than I have had to say them. I find it strange how I can so quickly demand a “I’m sorry” response when I am the one receiving it, but I can barely say the words when I apologize. One of my most recent personal experiences was my winter break trip to India in which elderly family members started to judge me and made me extremely uncomfortable. I even wrote my previous blog about these experiences, and how their negative criticism holds a harmful power. Even though I told them how I felt, I never received the two words. Instead, I got such broad and unapologetic apologies, in which they said their comments were just to make jokes. Your blog really covered all the bases of the struggles to say “I’m sorry”, but it is quite rare for me to hear those words myself. Overall this was a great and very unique blog!

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