1 week Ago
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was in a coffee shop with my spouse when a couple of neighbors entered. They approached us and said hello. I would have liked for them to have joined us because we occasionally cat-sit for each other, and I want to remain on good terms with them.
Also, I was feeling social. But I didn’t know how to word the invitation. “Would you like to join us?” seems to leave them no good way out if they do not happen to feel like socializing.
Does Miss Manners have any suggestion regarding how to proceed in such circumstances? GENTLE READER: “We would love to have you join us” has a subtle difference to it. Since it is a statement and not a question, your neighbors have options, including answering without answering. They could 1.
accept, 2. say, “Thank you, but we have a pressing matter to discuss, and we don’t want to bore you” or, less desirably, 3. say “Thank you,” go get their coffee and just never return.
Miss Manners hopes for your sake that if they choose the third, it is not also how they approach sitting your cat. (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.
com ; to her email, [email protected] ; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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