Sorry soup

Sorry has got a bit fluffy, and podgy on its royalties due to over-use. This could possibly be due to my own perpetual state of sorridom. I walk into a supermarket trolley and I practically throw myself in front of it in an apologetic fit. I've also been known to use an apologetic turn of phrase with parking meters and tree roots. Somebody barges into me, an apology shoots out like an mis-aimed bullet.

I'm sorry, but you can't have that three foot chocolate bunny ... I'm sorry that your car is embedded in my car after you took no notice of that silly red light ... sorry ... sorry ... sorry ...

The other day I walked into the office, a view of the sea greeted me as it does each and every morning. A warship docked at the port, was grey and sullen on the sunny day. The ship was a portent of doom which I hadn't even had time to ponder before I found myself flailing and bobbing in a frothy soup of cold sorry.  

Sorry, in office situations, is part of the blame-chain. The blame ball drops and is suddenly being bounced around the office faster than a flea on speed. Its thick veneer of blame remains untarnished as it passes from one to the other. Finally, the last person, is left with the ball (it may have passed to some people more than once but is quickly dispatched to the next unfortunate), blame burning on his or her cheeks. Of late, the flamin' reds are usually mine.

I apologise, using voice, gesticulations and even email. And it dawns on me what a dreadful waste of sorry, because I'm not sure about the sincerity of my apologies which calls into question other people's sorries that are doing the rounds. I've used the word so many times, I seem to have lost the real and true meaning of the word. There are many sorries to be made, important sorries, but my imbecilic, runty sorries should be left to grow into proper, meaningful sorries and let out on their own, only when they are meaningful and robust.

There is a point to this, and no I won't apologise for my apologetic rantings. I've given up chocolate for the week, let's see if I can put a sock in the sorry bucket and see how I get on.