I was at my husband's work Christmas party last year -- that's how long ago it was and I'm still thinking about this -- and he and I were chatting with one of his colleagues, and the guy and I both started speaking at the same time, both got quiet, both started speaking again, and got quiet again... you know how that goes... and so when we both start speaking at the same time again, I just dominated it and got louder and didn't stop speaking, and basically usurped the speaking floor.

I have thought about this regularly since then. Every time I start thinking about it, it's because I feel bad and I'm thinking about a time when I behaved rudely. But then every time I have to push it out of my mind and tell myself "you did NOT behave rudely. You two were both speaking at the same time, a natural conversational awkwardness, and you took the lead. It is NOT rude for you to have taken the lead and talked over him. One of you had to talk over the other in that situation. It is not rude for you to have been the one to do it."

I guarantee that guy doesn't even remember and wouldn't have thought twice about it if he was the one who took the lead and kept talking over me.