There are the obvious culprits: Spiders, Pedophiles, swimsuit shopping, and that freak Carrot Top.
::shudder::
But at the top of my list is something that will probably surprise a lot of you.
I am a total prude when it comes to four letter words.
When I hear a teenager or a grown adult throwing around swear words like they are a part of regular conversation it makes me cringe. They make not see me physically do it but mark my words inside I am screaming, "Do you kiss your Mama with that mouth?"
What will surprise you even more is to hear that I haven't always been so extreme in my hatred of cuss words.
In fact, as a teenager I could have cared less how anyone around me spoke. I threw out expletives as a part of a conversation and found it was a powerful way to end a sentence with a certain amount of oomph that without left my point lacking. I didn't care who heard me and if they didn't like it I probably had a really descriptive way of telling them where they could go.
Then somewhere around 2001 that all changed.
It seems like overnight I saw all the four letter words and expletives for what they really were. My failure to really say how I feel in words that gave those feelings power of their own on their own. I realized I didn't need to add some hyped up swear word at the end of my sentence to make my point. My point was powerful enough in and of itself.
I was also struck by how swearing at a person was one of the lowest forms of disrespect I could show towards them. And I was taken aback by just how horrible it felt to be on the receiving end of those words.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words hurt more than anything"
Indeed.
I realize I am certainly in the minority when it comes to my dislike of the myriad of colorful words thrown out and about around me. And I'll be the first to admit that when I burn my hand or stub my toe the first words that come flying out of my mouth are not, "Oh golly gee willikers that sure did hurt!" Chances are I will throw out the Queen Mother Mary of all swear words as a knee-jerk reaction to the pain.
I'm only human. And humans like their words short, and sweet, and to the point.
Especially when in pain.
In fact some of the worst memories of myself behaving badly have centered around times that I threw in a cuss word at the worst opportune moment.
Like the time I took Sam with me on vacation with my sister and her family in Florida and upon missing my period figured I should take a pregnancy test. Needless to say after years of infertility prior to having Sam I never in a million years thought it would turn up positive.
Well, it did.
I was in total shock.
I walked next door to my sister's condo where she was feeding all of the kids lunch with her husband and mother-in-law and exclaimed, "You are not going to F&*%#@g believe this...I'm pregnant" and then held up the test to prove it. To this day I am so mad at myself for using that kind of language at a moment that, while shocking, was nothing short of amazing and beautiful. I went and tarnished it with an ugly word and the fact that I did so in front of 3 children makes me even more ashamed of myself. Because the only thing that irks me more than cussing is people who use those words in front of children.
If I am shopping at the grocery store, or catching a bite to eat at Chick-Fil-A or watching my kids run and play at the local playground and someone starts letting four letter words fly you can bet your bottom dollar I am going to say something. I'll be respectful, but firm in explaining that I do not appreciate their use of that language in front of my children, let alone in front of me. In fact I will show them the same respect they should have been showing me by not using that language at all in a public place. If that person wants to talk that way in their own home so be it. But, don't pollute my ears and those of my children with that trash.
I realize now that this post has turned into a bit of a rant. Which was certainly not what I intended when I began writing it. I know there are many people who disagree with me on this topic. I respect their opinion and while I hope I won't lose any of my readers for sharing a bit about me and what makes me tick. Or rather, ticks me off. I will certainly show them kindly where the door is if they would rather leave.
Which I am happy to say is infinitely better than telling them where they can go.
