You Don’t Need An Apology To Know You Were Mistreated

Free from this trap.

Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash

I remember being drunk and demanding that a bouncer give me an apology because he had kicked my purse.

I wasn’t even being kicked out. My friend was. But still, I was annoyed that he had kicked my bag, and wasn’t going to say sorry. I asked him for an apology, and he just laughed.

I fell for this emotional trap for years, as have other relatives. They want an apology. Recognition for what they went through.

And they hold out. How can you move on, if the person who hurt you doesn’t acknowledge they hurt you? It’s not right. It’s not fair.

And I think we all want some of that acknowledgement.

But sometimes, we don’t get it. Sometimes, the person who hurt us or wronged us doesn’t care. Doesn’t see it as a big deal.

This was very painful. There’d be this flare up of emotion. No! I can’t let it go. If I let it go, then it’s like it never happened.

It’s like it never hurt.

But I’ve also seen people spend years waiting for an apology that never came. I’ve seen people move on, blissfully unaware that someone they hurt is still waiting for an apology.