Attending?

R.S.V.P. – from the French, “Répondez s'il vous plait” – please respond.

R.S.V.P. appears throughout our lives on many invitations.  Hosts need a response, either a “yes” or a “no” to their invitation.  No answer, or not replying, is not an acceptable option. 

Most invitations include a card for the invited to simply check “yes” or “no,” as well as a stamped, pre-addressed envelope to make it easy to respond.  How difficult is that? 

Not surprisingly, The Grinch probably does not respond to any invitations as he probably doesn’t receive any.  Actually, if he did receive one, however, he’d probably take perverse delight in responding with an emphatic, “No,” unlike the discourteous people in our culture who can’t be bothered to respond, or erroneously think by not answering they are saying they are not attending.  Even The Grinch is more polite than they are.

Even though he seems like loads of fun, the Trix Rabbit probably doesn’t respond to any invitations either because he doesn’t appear too bright, and in all probability, can’t read.  I’m guessing his friends understand his plight, and only issue verbal invitations to him. 

Casper the Ghost, on the other hand, due to his nature, appears unexpectedly anywhere; he just shows up.  At least he’s polite and mannerly despite his transparent condition.  Showing up without responding is not an option for anyone but Casper.

If you haven’t responded to an R.S.V.P., how do you explain your discourteous behavior?  Maybe you think you, or one or two others not responding, won’t make a difference, but what if 10 or 20 or more people do the same thing?  The host, of course, must provide the caterer an exact number, so you either cost the host extra money for the no-shows, or there are not enough dinners for all the guests.  Even a third grader can understand this math.

If you were invited to a gala hosted by Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Jordan, or anyone you admire, wouldn’t you respond to the invitation?  Of course, you would.  So what’s your problem?  Do you think you are so powerful, like Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada,” that you don’t have to reply to anything? What's your excuse for not responding, Lame Brain?