When An Apology is Just Too Much!!

  Warning:  This post contains the word "urinal."  If you are troubled by this word, do not continue reading!  Those who watch NCIS with some regularity will know that one of Jethro Gibbs' rules is, "Never say you are sorry.  It shows weakness."  I never really bought into that rule.  It seems to me if you run over your neighbor's cat or mailbox, you ought to apologize.  I do worry about over apologizing, though.  More than once, I've caught myself apologizing for just standing someplace.  A person walks up and says "excuse me," and as I step aside I say, "I'm sorry."  This is an apology for being there first.  I really shouldn't apologize for that.  
     There are other situations where one can apologize when one doesn't need to. I encountered one this morning at Panera in Fayetteville.  The Panera mens' room features the height of modesty.  The single urinal is in its own stall.  This morning I went to the restroom and found that the door to the urinal was closed.  I leaned against the wall and waited.  A moment later a man walked out, saw me, and said, "I'm sorry."  He took a step past me, nodding his head, and then said, "I'm sorry," again.  I was moderately alarmed.  What was this man sorry about?  Did something horrible await me at the urinal?
     Let me conclude by saying that nothing horrible awaited.  The man, who I'm sure is a great guy, has just taken to apologizing too much.  He was apologizing for existing at that point at that time.  He is a victim of over apologetic syndrome--OAS.  Hypothetical commercial:  "Hi!  I'm Steve, S-T-E-V-E, and I have O-A-S!"  Sorry, by the way, to anyone actually named Steve.  Not!