Accountability
I verbally double booked a twelve o’clock
Mistakenly wrote one person at two
I apologized, explained the situation to him
And asked, “how can I make it up to you?”
He shared that he was looking forward
To connecting and chatting with me
The focus was more about having the space to talk
Without judgment, feeling safe and free
I made time that afternoon
To call and chat on the phone
I apologized again for my mistakes
And that the blame was entirely my own
He shared his difficulties in his relationship
And the fetishes he wished to explore
He said his wife meets all his needs
But not his sexual needs, anymore
He’s not looking to replace his wife
Or have a romantic fling
She meets his needs in a lot of other ways
He knows he has a good thing
Even though I made a mistake
And can’t take back the mistake I made
I gave him my time, a listening ear
Which I hoped would be a fair trade
I apologized for my mistake
It was entirely my responsibility
Even though my intention wasn’t what happened
This is what it looks like to take accountability
If you’ve made a mistake
It won’t kill you to apologize
Gaslighting people won’t absolve you of your role
People will see right through your lies
Sometimes you can’t take back what you did
And try your best to rectify
Ask the person how you can make it better
Instead of trying to justify
Even though it’s not your fault
And your intention was for the best
This doesn’t excuse your role in the outcome
Which must always be addressed
Pretending things didn’t happen
Won’t make things disappear
It only amplifies the anger on the other side
And makes the resentment more severe
There’s a difference between explaining
What happened and excusing your role
Sharing where you went wrong in your approach
Is separate from things that were out of your control
Many people try to make excuses
For the mistakes they make
You’re not going to die if you admit you’re wrong
Only your ego is at stake
My age, my race, my gender
Doesn’t set me free
I take ownership when I make mistakes
Accountability
Comments