Language

I occasionally have talks with the younger generations about language.

I had trouble with bad language, which seems odd in hindsight. As a young man, even through college, I abhorred foul language, even going so far as to rarely use the word "damn" and never any harsher word.

Then I worked for a few decades in a chemical plant, quite often out in the Units with rough, tough language-crippled individuals who seemed to compete to speak with foul adjectives and expletives.

Before I even knew it, I slipped into using many of those words myself. Not at home, not in front of my children, but certainly in the Units among my fellow workers.

I even began to think so little of my words that I used them to descriptively berate a piece of software while among colleagues while in the company offices.

Next thing I knew, I was in the Plant Manager's office where he informed me that he placed a permanent record of a complaint about my language in my personnel file. As I left his office, ashamed of my behavior, he said something to me that struck me to the core.

"Would you use that language in front of your mother?"

It took introspection and a zealous intent to clean up my speech.

I'm a better man for it.

I cannot watch most movies currently put out in the theaters because they choose to use expletives that are offensive to me, to the point where the words hurt my heart and spirit.

The movie industry decides to single-handedly change the way the young think of this language.

"It's just words," the young people say. "Like Deadpool. It's so funny!"

No, it is lazy writing and lack of creativity. Deadpool as a comic existed long before the movie and it did not have the bad language to prop it up. Good movies existed for decades without resorting to foul words.

So, for me, I have a strong position on the use of foul language.

I'm sort of with Captain America on this one, though not quite as severe. But, you know, I don't think I could pick a better superhero to side with.

I kind of wish I could go back to younger me and be as diligent as Cap is, actually.

The world wants us to start ignoring the small obscenities because it is a slippery slope., and once you've started the slide down, it is almost impossible to get back on the pinnacle. I know this from personal experience.

So let me leave you with two questions.

"Would you use that language in front of your mother?"

"How about in front of your God, Creator of the Universe and Lord of all Creation?"

Thanks for reading.