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Advice Please? Two Well Meaning People Want to Do Something They Think Sounds Fun, But Everyone Else is Too Polite to Say "No Thanks"

Yeshuasdaughter

Yeshuasdaughter

You know, that one lady we met that one time.
V.I.P Member
A relative just had a recent birthday. Another one of my relatives wants us all to go the next city over to watch a high school play. Note: no one we know goes to said high school. Another relative got really excited and agreed with this relative that this is how we should celebrate.

The thing is, no one else, including the person with the birthday, wants to attend the play. But these two people are so excited to see this high school play with the whole family.

I have absolutely no desire in any inch of my being to do this, neither does anyone else other than the two people. How do I say this politely? I really don't want them to buy tickets for everyone.

Ugh.
 
I'd just be blunt if it were me. But if you insist on some kind of subterfuge, the one thing you might try is to emphasize leaving all those seats open to parents and students who actually attend that school rather than have so many seats taken up by outsiders. At least it would have the appearance of a well-meaning gesture, obscuring the actual reason that you and others don't really want to go.

But yeah, you might have to "sell it" really hard to make it convincing.
 
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How is communication about this happening? Is there a massive group text or is the communication more one on one?
 
Phone calls. So one will call and talk about the itinerary, and the other will call and do the same.
 
That’s a tricky one. Is there any chance that the birthday girl will step up and claim birthday rights over what happens?

This seems like it would be a bit of work and possibly feel like manipulation, but it sounds like the two relatives who want to go to the play just have to hear from the group. Like if everyone could agree to call them up and politely say maybe this isn’t the best way to spend our time together. Part of the politeness could involve highlighting that going to a play doesn’t give people a chance to interact with each other and actually spend time together.

Also, it could be helpful to have a possibly more attractive plan… Instead of just saying no let’s not do that, some thing more along the lines of well, have you guys heard about this place/event or something even better than a high school play.

Although, counting grains of sand on a windy beach sounds more fun than a high school play to me.
 
Oh, I'm so sorry. First thing on the itinerary is, I'm cooking an upright piano. It was bad enough finding a big enough Crock-Pot but I'm waiting for the iron part on the back to soften up. Nope, can't come; still too al dente. But I assure you when it's more tender I will put it on the back of the stove & be right over!
 
Really. I always though going to a school play was strictly for parents and siblings to gush over a member of their own family and little else. LOL...otherwise you couldn't drag me to an amateur production. Though I do enjoy a really good top-notch play. I once got to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom". Stunning....awesome play. Seeing "42nd Street" was lot of fun as well.

I did see one high school play in my life. "RUR"- "Rossum's Universal Robots". Only because my brother had a small part on stage....lol.
 
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Not to knock high school plays. I have attended a positively gripping rendition of Fiddler on the Roof done at a local high school. They can be quite good.
 
Say no because a new Covid variant is positively decimating high schools at the moment. When they say they can't find anything about it, tell them the government is suppressing the information to avoid a panic.

;)
 
Everything worked out. And a gentle request from the one having the birthday was all that was needed.
 
If this were me, I would just not go. I don't think people are being polite about it, they're being passive aggressive.
 
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