"Yesterday my father’s cousin George came to visit from
Las Vegas, where he lives. He stayed for lunch and then we took him to the Lake and then we went to Howard Johnson’s for supper and my parents treated him. After we came home, we sat in the living room for a long time. He talked and talked. That would have been OK, except he swore the whole time. He’d say a few words and then he would mix in a swear word. I can’t even write them, you’ll just have to believe me. For example, he would say, “and what the h— do you think of that, Edith?” My mom would just answer as if he hadn’t sworn. Then he would go on and swear again.
Every time he swore it gave me a bad feeling in my stomach. I asked him not to swear, but he just laughed at me as if he knew more than I do. But the truth is I know more than he does. Swearing makes the whole room feel heavy, as if little arrows are being shot off, hitting people and hurting them. Either he doesn’t know the truth or he doesn’t care.
My parents didn’t seem that bothered. What happens to grown-ups that they don’t seem to care anymore to make the world a beautiful place?
When I got up this morning, I was so glad that George wasn’t here anymore.
Grown-ups say they know so much about life, but I know more. I know swearing is bad for all of us, and that’s the truth."
This is a quote from my new book, THE TRUTH, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything. What do you think? Does the atmosphere feel better to you when people don’t do things like swearing? Let’s chat. ‘The Girl’ inside each of us will thank us for cleaning up the atmosphere of life!
Because I’ve always worked in offices, I’ve never been one to swear very much, because it’s not professional. I wasn’t raised swearing, so it felt different when I did start years ago.
Now that I’m in my 50s, I see the old truth that swear words mixed in with speech take away from the message rather than add to it. People in general just don’t take the swear-er as seriously.
Dear Jane, Thanks so much for your comment. I think that is a good point, that people who swear a lot are not taken as seriously. And we all know how bad it feels to not be taken seriously when we are trying to make a point or be listened to! Please let me know if you have more to say on this topic or other topics that ‘the girl’ in THE TRUTH, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything, brings up.
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein