Yesterday with much trepidation I asked a roaster to cancel an order for a few coffee mugs. I only gained the confidence to type “ I hate to be a pain, and will certainly avoid doing so in the future, but can I cancel the mug order” after asking my partner if it was bad form to ask for a refund. I talked myself down such a rabbit hole, feeling guilty for making extra work for someone, for causing a fuss. The fear of making a request that might make me more of a complicated client for them, lead them to ‘drop me’ was so daunting that I almost avoided it entirely.
Where in the world does this aversion to taking up space come from?