DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a small fiber arts business, and am a generally crafty person. I embroider, sew, crochet and knit, and also do a variety of other crafts. I like to wear, display and talk about what I make, as I’m proud of it. However, this is often met with a response along the lines of, “I could never do that.”
I know it’s rude to reply with “Not with that attitude” or “You could if you practiced,” but I’m wondering what a polite response would be.
While it is often meant as a compliment, I feel that the “I could never” response implies that my abilities are innate rather than a skill set developed over years of work, so it makes me defensive and more likely to respond rudely or snarkily. Is there a way to graciously accept this as a compliment while also reminding people that I am good at what I do because I’ve worked hard at it?
GENTLE READER: “Well, at one point, I couldn’t either.”
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
COPYRIGHT 2023 JUDITH MARTIN
DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
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