false

The Irish are renowned for not being able to say 'no'. You ask for a plumber and he'll say "Sure, I'll be right around". You wait - hours, days, months. You ring him and he says "Oh yes, I got delayed, but I will come". Only if you are bold enough to take the man to task will he admit you were far down his priority list, indeed probably had no intention of coming at all. But he didn't like to say no. I regret that this way of doing business is rubbing off on me.

In contrast I know a mother and both her children who can say a blunt 'no' with no shame, no discussion, no yielding point to just about anything they choose. Years ago, when teaching one of the children, I suggested he might read so-and-so. "I don't read".  But you ought to, it would really help you.  "I'm sorry but I don't read books".  Full stop. Where can you go from there?  Or, just yesterday, I suggested making an appointment earlier in the day, say at 8 a.m. "No."  No discussion. No offer to compromise or bargain.

I wish I could do the same. I find it so hard to say 'no' without bolstering it with all manner of ifs and buts and excuses. I suppose because I feel ashamed to admit that I cannot or do not want to.