Hey there people who can’t just shrug it off when someone cuts in a line ahead of you,
I see you.
What does an apology entail and what does the word mean? Do you know?
So it turns out, Apology comes from the mid 16th century and denotes a formal defense against an accusation: in late Latin from Greek apologia ‘a speech in one's own defense’, from apo ‘away’ + -logia.
Back in the 1700s, the words “I do not accept your apology” would have been a formal logical statement having nothing to do with emotion or friendship.
I’m fascinated by this - were people up until 1700s just doing things without explaining themselves? Did people not wonder why Bob the Baker was rude to them or why Bertha sat in front of them at the theater without saying hello? How did people not wonder? and how did people not try to explain themselves?
So of course I had to look up the word “sorry” - because at first glance you figure it comes from having sorrow… and you will be as freaked out as I was to know that the word did not originally come from sorrow but from sores - from being in pain. Here’s the link explaining. Looks like the word came into common use in 1200 in the phrase “I’m sorry” as an apology (remember that the word apology also had its meaning changed)
Words are so interesting - they say so much about society.
Writing News:
It’s official! I’m doing a reading in Cleveland! The bookstore Walls of Books in Parma, OH! Everyone who is nearby on August 7th (a Monday) needs to come out! The likely time is 6:30pm but I will let you know soon as I know. The shopkeeper is wonderful and this seems to be co-hosted with yet another amazing bookstore owner (of an anti-racist bookstore elsewhere in Cleveland). I’m thrilled to do my very first bookstore reading in the middle of the country. Hell yeah.
Random Final Thought:
The best thing about people reading books is the random connections you make with perfect strangers where you (or they) see the book cover and say something like “oh wow I loved that book” or “hey, how are you liking that book”? — I had that moment while watching this woman start Pachinko.
Road trip is six days away and counting…. light candles, please.
I then start to wonder at what point "I'm sorry" becomes a default response to almost anything--especially if you were socialized as a woman in the latter half of the 20th century in the United States. E.g. saying "I'm sorry" when someone bumps into you. I'd look into this, but I'm too tired. I'm sorry. (Yes, I know what I did there.)