Hot take: saying no to family parties without a reason felt rude at first but now I just do it and nobody cares

I compared making up an excuse for skipping my cousin's BBQ last month versus just saying 'can't make it' and the honesty saved me 20 minutes of awkward texting and they didn't even follow up, has anyone else noticed people actually respect a straight no more than a story?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephl672mo ago

Wow, you actually just said "can't make it" with zero explanation? That's bold. I've been making up elaborate excuses for years and now I feel like a fool. Straight no with no story attached - that's next level confidence right there.

the_riley2mo ago

My last three cancellations involved a fake sick cat, a "water main break" that I totally made up, and a family emergency that was just me forgetting the day before. You might be onto something here. Care to share the secret?

nina_johnson861mo ago

Friend of mine tried the "straight no" thing once. @the_riley she just said "can't do it" and hung up. Then spent the next hour panicking they'd see her at the grocery store. She hid behind a frozen food aisle for twenty minutes.