I have been accused of having a trucker mouth, once or twice.One day, Sophia was sitting at the counter while I was making dinner and having a very profanity-free conversation when she decides to give me options for “other” words to use in place of “swear” words when I am angry. I find this humorous on a few levels, but the one that is at the forefront is that that my children obviously “do as I say and not as I do.” This, in this particular scenario is a very good thing. I have really good kids. Anyone who knows them will attest to this. They do not get in to trouble at school for swearing on the playground.
So, here is what I think about profanity. . . There is nothing quite like a well placed expletive to make your point. Of course, I am acutely aware of knowing my audience before I do this. Wait, that’s not always true. Sometimes these words slip out of my mouth before I even realize it. This may be due to issues with self-control, of which I have little. Okay, I try to be aware of my audience before I let “them” fly.
And I wouldn’t say that I am necessarily proud of my use of obscene language, but I’m not quite ashamed either. I think too much has been made of “bad” words. They are just words. Just adjectives. We give them the power they hold. If society didn’t make such a big deal out of them, they wouldn’t be such a big deal. Is an F-bomb going to permanently scar anyone? I think not. I think our behavior is far more damaging than our language.
I also do not believe that my occasional (okay, often) use of profane words reflects my intellectual identity. I believe that it indicates that I am a person of unbridled passion. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. But it’s not that I don’t have the vocabulary to support using alternate language. I choose to keep these words in my verbal arsenal. I will concede however, that there is a time and place for bad language. When I am really angry? Yes. When the cat pukes on the floor and I step in it. Yes. After a missed lift? A resounding YES. You get my point.
I will leave you with this final thought. . . What is offensive to some, is simply colorful to others. And who really f*#king cares anyway?
I'm not exactly sure what I am doing in that picture. Looks like I didn't like your expletive. But we know that isn't true because I also like a well placed "adjective" ...mine just might be fewer in between. No big deal. It's important to be who you are at all times and if that means you have a colorful vocabulary then F*#@ it!
ReplyDelete#1. I have a client who frequently blurts these obscenities out during the warm up and post wod. Usually both of which my daughter insists on being privy to. I don't care for it all that much, but it hasn't bothered me to the point of calling them out.
ReplyDelete#2. I figured you to have an angel of a mouth, you had me fooled : )
typing fake swear words helps me not yell them at people in real life :)although i did lob a F Bomb at the teenager who made me dump the split snatch by walking righ behind me. i do beleive it was an effective manner in wich to fully illustrate the severity of my displeasure with him.
ReplyDeleteWhile there is a time and place for everything, I think it's a matter of conditioning. If you hear cussing a lot then it becomes no big deal. If you aren't around it much, then it becomes more noticeable and maybe offensive. Based on TV shows and movies these days, I think it's becoming less of a big deal. As a mom, I'm not really pleased with this trend.
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