Unkeepable Promises by Angel C.
One weekend, I was at my best friend's house in New Stanton which is over
an hour away. My boyfriend was very unhappy that I went. He had been giving me grief
because I had left him for the weekend even though I live with him. We had been
bickering since before I left on Friday and I was not entirely sure why he was acting the
way he was. He asked me what time I was coming home because he was missing me.
I told him I was unsure, he asked for me to be home at 2 on Sunday. I said,” I will try to
be home at 2.” He then proceeded to tell me to promise him that I would be, so I said,” I
promise to try to be home at 2.
Where everything really went wrong was that I was not the one driving. My best
friend had come and got me and was bringing me home. I had asked her later on when
she was planning on taking me home. She said that she wanted to leave after her little
boy went down for a nap, that way he would not cry for her when she left. I let my
boyfriend know that we were leaving her house somewhere around 2. He got so upset
with me because I had promised him to be home the time we were going to be leaving.
Although, feeling like promising someone something, just to deescalate a
situation or to get someone to calm down, maybe all you feel that you can do. You feel
a lot of pressure when someone asks you to promise them something because they feel
like they can control the situation by making you promise them something, even though
you truly can not and you have expressed that in the past. I should never have
promised him that I would be home at a certain time, knowing that I was not the one
driving. I could not leave within the proper time frame to get to my house at that time,
and I didn't even think about asking my best friend when she was planning on taking me
home before I had promised my boyfriend I'd be home at that time.
I believe that the only promises that should be made are the ones you can
guarantee and know you are in control of keeping. Promising someone something,
knowing you are not in control of the situation or what is going to happen, can cause
some problems between the individuals. I believe that there are certain promises you
make that you just may not be able to keep. Thinking about whether or not you can truly
keep a promise that you are about to make, could prevent issues in all relationships.
