The other day I was talking with a recent college graduate about how nice it is when you have an opportunity to edit what you write before it goes to print. During an earlier conversation with another co-worker, we touched on how wonderful it is to be in a situation where someone else can edit your work, knowing that we sometimes miss our own mistakes because we subconsciously read what we know we meant to say.

For instance, it's nice to know someone is there to catch it when you write "form" instead of "from" or "which" instead of "witch." It's nice to know someone will be looking over your proverbial shoulder when you forget to leave the apostrophe out of "its" when "it's" not a conjunction. And it's nice to know you can count on someone to remind you not to split your infinitives (something I am, apparently, so very apt to do).

Being edited is not really that big of a deal. At least when you're writing. For most of us, the trouble comes when we put down the pen, turn off the computer, and open our mouths.

You can't edit what you say. Once those words come out of your mouth -- they're our there for all the world to hear.

Sure, sometimes we wish we could grab those words and stuff them back in, or wish them away, or pray that maybe nobody heard what we said. But rest assured, someone did hear you. And once those words are out, there's no taking them back. Apologies are nice. Explanations are, well, explanatory. And sometimes, "Forget I said that!" may get you by (most likely not).

When I was a newspaper reporter, I used to cover an organization where one of the members would say to me, after publication of the story, "Print what I meant, not what I said!"

Oops. Too late. You already said it. I wrote it down, and now anyone who wants to can read it. You can't edit what you say.

Some people try to say they didn't mean it; that they misspoke; that they were really trying to communicate something entirely different than what they said. But no matter how you dress it up or flavor it or apologize for it, it's already out. The words are floating around in the atmosphere -- maybe even for eternity.

I've learned a lesson, over time, and life has at times been a hard, hurtful tutor. That lesson is this: Edit what you say before you say it. Choose your words wisely, and you won't have to apologize for them. Choose your words wisely and they may not hurt others so badly. Choose your words wisely and they may bring joy to others. Choose your words wisely and they may make someone's life better, if even in a small way.

And remember …

You can't edit what you say.