It's my fault

- or is it?
I had an email from someone yesterday - nothing unusual in that. I get a lot of email. (The postman recently remarked that I don't get as many letters as I once did...no, I get them as emails instead.)
But this particular email had me puzzled - and a little worried.
I offered to do something. I offered because the person who was organising the roster had done things for me and I thought it only fair that I offered to help in return.
It's a three day event. They need multiple people for a day each. I offered to do two of the three days but said I thought I should be at a meeting on the other day.
Yes thank you I'd like you to help - on the day of the meeting. I thought about this and reorganised myself and asked other people to do things for me. (Now I owe them some help too.)
Then there was the usual "we haven't got enough people yet" announcement. I left another email. Do you need more help?
And the anxious answer came back wondering if I could do the day I was rostered on for and person organising thought I meant I could only do that day. I sent another message saying I could do the day I was now down for and sorry for any confusion.
Later I took a moment and reread the emails I had sent. Were they quite clear? Yes, very clear and not my fault at all.
     "You should have been more assertive Cat - said you couldn't do it."
No. I was tempted but that would simply have made life more difficult for the person organising the roster - and that person does too much now.
Sometimes it is better to take the blame for something even when you are in the right. 
It would be even better if people admitted when they were wrong - but that's not going to happen. I don't think any of us like doing that.