I have hurt someone, demeaned someone, and shown an ugly side of myself.

So now what can I do?

I can apologize to that person, as directly as possible.

I can be mindful to not give in to my need to joke and bond with the unworthy, sometimes at the risk of hurting someone publicly.

I can work harder to be the best version of myself, the one I strive to be all the time.

I can acknowledge that the culture I work in is often not welcoming to women, and is sometimes downright exclusionary, mean, and objectifying. I can try to be a healthy part of the conversation, and not part of the problem.

I can do the kind of things that feed my soul, remind me of what is just, and don’t need to be public.

I have sexualized, perverse human thoughts like just about everyone else. I can be more considerate when they rise to the surface. And I can stay out of the sewer when it rises towards me.

I can use any microphone or print platform I am fortunate enough to have to spread the right kind of thought process. Be kind. Be respectful.

Live, learn, keep going.