HE SAYS SHE HEARS
“I have a good reason for be-
ing late, so you shouldn’t be
so upset about this. You
should be happy that I made
it here at all.”“I’m sorry that I was late.
There was a huge accident on
the bridge. The traffic was ter-
rible. It was so hot and it took
so long, I was stuck behind
this huge truck...”
“You were being so critical of
me; You made the mistake, so
you should be apologizing to
me.”“I’m sorry I got mad at you,
but you were so critical of me.
You said...”
“You shouldn’t be upset with
me; instead you should feel
sorry for me. I’m under so
much pressure at work.”“I’m sorry I didn’t call you
back. I’m under a lot of pres-
sure at work. You wouldn’t
believe the deadline I have to
finish this project. I just don’t
know what to do...”
“You shouldn’t be upset with
me; my idea of going sailing is
a better idea. You should be
happy with this plan.”“I’m sorry that I forgot to get
the tickets for the symphony.
The weather was just so good
I thought we could go sailing
instead. This is the best time
of the year to go sailing...”
STAGE FIVE: ENGAGEMENT / 119