When I was younger and I asked my parents to go somewhere or to buy something, they would almost always respond with, “Maybe.” Every time I heard this wretched word, I would be disappointed because "maybe" usually meant no or another time. As I got older, this word started to come up more and more often. I would ask a friend to hang out on a specific day, and I would be shot down with a "maybe." I'd hear, "Maybe another time," "maybe another day" and "maybe when I am feeling better." I have slowly started to find this word unappealing and hateful because I associate this word with no.

One day, I woke up to find myself using this word more and more myself because ultimately I didn’t want to commit to someone or something. As a normal response, I used this word with one of my friends when he asked me to hang out. When he heard me say "maybe," he was shocked and stated that I shouldn’t be a "maybe" person. He thought I should just make a decision to either hang out or not. In that small moment of my life, I realized that the word "maybe" was ultimately a way to avoid doing things, to sidestep having more experiences in life and to meeting more people. I soon started to try to not use "maybe" at all. I tried my hardest to either answer with a no or a yes. This made life much simpler because instead of having all of these people wondering if I was going to hang out on the same day, I had my days planned out. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and exactly what I didn’t want to do. I felt much more productive. I even challenged one of my other friends that always responded to me with a "maybe" to either answer with yes or no. Soon, he saw the same results I had seen. He realized that his days seemed more planned out too! He saw he had more time to do everything that he wanted to do.

I truly believe that too many people in our generation use the word "maybe" as an excuse. They use it as an excuse because they don’t want to commit to something. Don’t get me wrong, I have had the dilemma when I say yes to someone and then they end up saying that they can’t hang out. In this instance, I probably could have answered with a "maybe" because then I might still have plans with someone. Then again, things don’t always work out the way you want. Keep in mind, when you use the word "maybe," and you have said this to many of your friends on the same day, it is slightly rude because all of these people are saving their time for you. This will come down to four out of the five people not being able to hang out with you, because you held up their time. This word also holds you back from experiences you want to have because you might be unsure of what you want to do. It's best to just say yes and have an experience that you thought you never might have had. Using "maybe" holds you back as well as the people around you from enjoying your presence. "Maybe" is a half yes and a half no. "Maybe" is not an answer. "Maybe" should not be in your vocabulary. So when you're looking to create memories, just say yes or no ... it'll save everyone time and earn yourself some respect.