One of Fair Finley's arcs, in the Wilfair stories, is how she comes to grips with how often she apologizes for nothing at all or, at least, the smallest of infractions.
Her eventual scuttling of "sorry" as her go-to word is not to diminish her kindness or courtesy. I wanted her to remain kind but confident.
Near the end of "Fairwil" Fair says "I'd been a permission-asker my entire life, a habit that goes hand-in-hand with rampant, meaningless apologizing. Neither act made me politer. Rather, they only ever diluted my intent and doused my fire."
This new New York Times piece by Sloane Crosley was a good read on the topic. Why Women Apologize and Should Stop
In other news: I may post some (very) short original pieces with the Wilfair people during July and August. I'm in the mood, so please check back!
On Over-Apologizing
