Have you ever said something unfortunate and wanted to take it back? Maybe you wondered if anyone else really heard it. Do you admit and point out the mistake, or do you hope it was overlooked? Do you proactively apologize, or do you wait to see if anyone calls you out?
Well, that happened to me with the recording of Podcast Episode 2 The Upside and Downside of #metoo. As I listened to the recording before publishing it, I realized I made mistakes with the language I used when I was attempting to broaden the perspective and eliminate assumptions about who may encounter or be accused of sexual harassment. We tend to think of this happening between a man and a woman, and I was attempting to present the concept that sexual harassment can happen or allegedly happen between individuals of the same sex too.
I considered asking Kevin to re-record the episode, so we could publish a better version and satisfy my ego, desire for perfection and concern about offending someone. Hah! I decided that it’s OK to not be perfect. It’s better to be approachable and relatable. Maybe it will support others to openly share how difficult it is to find the best language when we’re talking about gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. After all, Kevin and I are looking to start conversations and we’re open to feedback and suggestions from our listeners (and readers!). Further, maybe it’s good to demonstrate that there’s an upside to making mistakes. The most memorable lessons in life come from mistakes. Sometimes we have to learn from our own mistakes, and sometimes we can learn from observing others’ mistakes.
With language, we can all commit to doing our best, learning from our mistakes and incorporating clearer language as we move forward. Where you have you gotten tripped up in language or terminology? What lessons have you learned from messing up?