said my oldest daughter when she was 21. But the emphasis was on the words ‘lot’ and ‘Dad’ with a large and overly-exaggerated pause between the two. Her meaning was obvious! (I wouldn’t let her borrow my car to go to one of her very-late-night parties.)
said my 9-year-old son. This phrase, almost exactly the same as the other one, meant something entirely different. The first “Thanks” was emphasized. That was followed by a short pause and then the rest of the words came tumbling out all at the same speed. It was Sunday afternoon. I’d just played a game of football with him.
The tone and the timing.
Be very conscious of these two factors. It’s such a sensitive issue when you’re on the phone chasing slow payers, asking someone to pay an account. Your tone and timing can so easily be misinterpreted.
Leave A Comment