thank you for the invitation. (i'm sorry but i must decline.)

i know i could work on my manners. i hope that this is not held against me. nobody's perfect, and i would rather be thoughtful than polite. one of my biggest pet peeves is when people apologize to me when i bump into them - and while some people think it is an endearing canadian quality, it really sets my teeth on edge. it waters down the draught of human kindness to apologize when you haven't done anything wrong, as a knee jerk reaction. at best, it is an embarrassing flub, and at worst an insincere disregard for the powerful meaning contained in the words 'i'm sorry' or 'thank you' or 'please'. (and yes, i know that i am guilty of this; it makes me blush to admit it.)

however, i think that there is definitely a time and a place to apologize, and this is one of them. so - i was rude and i apologize. i'm sorry that i didn't call, i'm sorry that i didn't show up, and i'm sorry that i didn't return your calls. i just didn't know how to tell you that i didn't want to come, and i had no good excuse that would have made it easier for us all. i just couldn't face another night of talking about nothing, or worse, covering the same topics that we've talked about every time we get together as if they were somehow new. i was impolite and selfish, and i will try make it up to you. maybe we can have a potluck, or a movie night. or maybe i should be rude enough to admit that i don't really have much in common with you and just try to ease gracefully away.