I like to think of myself as an Emily Post follower. I know how long I have to write thank you notes; I am aware of when and where to take gifts, big or small; I know where the water glass, wine glass, and all utensils go on the table; however, until I was 37, I was unaware that RSVP stood for "respond, please". I blame my mother for this; I blame that sweet woman for a lot of things, but for 37 years, I thought that RSVP, stood for "reserve, please."
I found out about the "respond" versus the "reserve" when I was called out for not showing up to a senior recital for one of my former students. She is now a professional opera singer, so I kind of feel regrtful in addition to being embarrassed...still (Catholic Guilt runs deep, friends~I'm sure Mom still feels the sting of not enlightening me of the RSVP).
Since that time, though, I have become a bit of an RSVP snob. I would judge people who did not RSVP in an appropriate manner or in an appropriate amount of time. When we have parties at our home, I get all worked up about people who don't RSVP, and then I simply delete them from the invitation the following year. I mean, really; how hard is it to RSVP, especially in today's world of Evites, and Facebook, and email follow ups. I even ask people to email the RSVP to save time and a phone call that requires small talk, which is never small.
Then I found an invitation to a party for one of my daughter's many birthday parties that she is invited to stowed away in the catch-all basket that also contains seeds, scrap paper, receipts, a jump drive, a few screws, tape measures, and any other thing that is homeless in our home. I was doing the "holy god, I can't take this mess any more," and I found an invitation to a party for THAT DAY! It was yesterday, so this is still fresh in my mind, and I am mortified.
As a self-proclaimed RSVP snob, I am horrified that not only do I have to apologize for not sending appropriate response, but I am feeling so guilty that I think I need to send a gift...
So I appeal to my twelve readers and ask your help. Do I simply call and apologize? Do I rescind my snobbery and become one of the unwashed masses who still think that RSVP means "reserve"? And what about Facebook? Does that even count, any way???
Maybe we/I should be a little more understanding about things over which we/I have no control. I mean, it may be enough to leave a restaurant for grammatical errors on the menu; being and RSVP Nazi might be taking the snobbery factor too far.
Whatsay you?
