I Translate Myself Too Late

In the moment, I choose the easiest words because I’m trying to keep the conversation moving.

Later, alone, I finally find the real sentence—the one that includes the part I was protecting.

I replay the moment and realize I was misunderstood, but not because the other person was careless. Because I translated myself into something simpler than I am.

I keep telling myself it’s fine. I keep telling myself I can say it next time.

But “next time” is a place I hide what I needed to say today.