DEAR MISS MANNERS: How should I edit the following email to a colleague so as to reconcile the situation? My honesty is not always expressed politely, even less so when I am tired.
Generally, everyone in my workplace are all weirdos and impolitic, and also great friends, but I need a little extra help with politeness in this case.
"Dear Colleague,
"Can we please move past recent events (wherein we disagreed about a trivial topic, both believing ourselves to be correct)? However, I was correct, and don't wish to indicate otherwise. I understand you undoubtedly feel the same.
"We were in a tense situation and were exceptionally sleep-deprived and overstretched. That stress-causing event is finished. We are rested now.
"How can we fix this, or at least lay down arms? I know if you had truly moved past it, you wouldn't be avoiding me. You can be oblivious and thoughtless as well, and we usually just let things slide. What gives?"
GENTLE READER: This letter, at once antagonistic and incendiary, is anything but an apology. Miss Manners wonders what you hoped to achieve by sending it, except to prolong the argument.
She therefore suggests the following edit:
"Dear Colleague,
"How can we fix this?"
She further recommends that you and your colleagues all get more sleep.