Don’t ask me what I’m doing tonight
…not if your real goal is to invite me to something.
What an awful question that is. I get it all the time. I can only assume the person asking doesn’t know how awful it is, how tactless. It forces the person being asked to make a split second judgment about the likelihood of there being a good opportunity at the end of their own answer.
Am I going to be invited to something I’d enjoy, or not? Can I say I planned to go home and make dinner and read a book or should I lie and say there’s something more important so that I can’t be easily talked out of the book, which is what I’d actually like to do with my evening?
Well, I’ve given up on it. Someone asked me a moment ago what I’m doing tonight and I said: “I hate that question. What are you doing tonight? What have you got to offer?”
It’s not so hard to avoid this tactlessness. It’s really easy. I do it all the time. I say: “Hey, you. I’m doing XYZ. Want to join me?” It doesn’t put anyone on the spot.
12. August 2008 at :
I don’t know about you, but I have no problems just being honest with people.
12. August 2008 at :
I worry about offending someone by telling them I’d rather do nothing than whatever they’re floating.
12. August 2008 at :
In case folks around here haven’t noticed, I generally don’t worry too much about offending people.
12. August 2008 at :
It’s Bush’s fault.
13. August 2008 at :
Spend less time micromanaging your life, the essence of an excellent night are determined by “where you want to go this evening”.
Let the supernatural, mystic powers of awesomeness decide your evening, its one less thing for you to worry about.
13. August 2008 at :
From “Marty.”
Angie: What do you wanna do tonight?
Marty Pilletti: I dunno, Angie. What do you wanna do?