foot in mouth disease

Well, apparently, in spite of my best intentions, even at this "advanced stage" in my human development, I still manage to stick my entire foot in my mouth and chew on it for long periods of time. I have said something to someone that I meant one way but that was taken quiet another by the intended listener. In retrospect, and with what I know about this person, I really should have said it some other way. I made an analogy using the one thing that is sacrosanct to that individual but that -to me- is but a small part of a larger picture. Egos are delicate things, and when you base almost your very existence around one thing in particular, you tend to guard it fiercely... and so I have injured someone I care greatly about but I have no real recourse, other than to apologize. Sigh...