"I Gotchu": The Empty Assurance of Modern Promises
When Words Fail A Verbal Oath
There comes a time in everyday life when words don’t have promises anymore. I wrote an article titled “Ban ‘Sorry’ From Your Vocabulary” because I believe the definition of that word has been used in vain for too long. Now that we’ve entered the next chapter in our lives, I began to discover more words are being used in vain during social exchanges. A line that is being used as a verbal promise needs to be removed because it’s not believable anymore. That line is “I Gotchu.”
“I Gotchu” is a pronunciation stemming from the words “I got you” and “I got it.” The line is often a statement of loyalty, friendships, protection, and more importantly, promises. It’s a verbal statement between two people or a group used one exchange for trust in return. An agreement has been made to fulfill this pledge. The expectation is that the oath has been returned.
Nowadays, it appears that the undertaking has become an understatement, and I’m sure this has happened to you more than once.
It can be a promise to contact you back when you give them your phone number. It can be a promise to work together in the future, but it never came true. It can be a promise to protect you, but they’re nowhere to be found. It can be a promise to stand up for you, but when it’s time to do it, they’re silent as a ghost.
It doesn’t matter which one it is. The result is still the same. You were given a broken promise.
I don’t understand anymore why people say those two words, and there is nothing to back it up. If you know you can’t do whatever it is that was presented to you, don’t make a vow like that. It’s wrong to give people false hope. Tell them in the beginning that you can’t do it. The general worst thing you can tell someone is “No.”
If you decide to go the other route, you’ve sunk your boat into a whirlpool of lies you’ve created, and it is difficult to get back to the surface because your words don’t have a bond anymore. You are now the physical embodiment of distrust. So I encourage people that if you can’t fulfill a promise, don’t make one.