Hi Hal. Thanks for being honest! I'm older than you! I never had a wild period. just some fun times! I was like the young woman in your college who you didn't think was real, except I was not a valedictorian! At home, my father cursed a lot, maybe from his army life, I don't know, but I vowed NEVER to be like him. and he smoked and I vowed against that as well. Good thing becausE Ihad asthma! Swearing or not, our ailment, ME doesn't seem to distinquish! Glad you are recovering from major crash!
Thanks,Hal, for the opportunity to share in your spiritual journey both here and in person. Swearing when reduced to common language loses it's impact. But, I think that swearing is the final normal desperate gesture when one gives up power over impossible circumstances and surrenders to the care of their Higher Power. I am sure the historical Jesus was swearing a blue streak in Aramaic before he reached peace with his God and his own death. And yes, I was one of the people that said you chose the right word last in the last podcast.
Good to hear you are feeling better, Hal! I also went through what I think of as “my wild period”, but found my way back. Sometimes that “F” word is the only one that works. Love your honesty and following your journey.
She wrote the F word song, and I loved her so much. She was a heartfelt and determined activist and gave her all for all of us. Over and over and over. She died of cancer at 69, she was just my age.
I think swearing has a place, and we all know where it is, and is not. It is a kind of raw emphasis. In some cases, a challenge to power, which is often a good and courageous thing. People of all ages, including high school, have a right to cry out.
Sending love, and gratitude for your unique and singular voice.
Cheers to your rocking assemblies, the learning curve, and your vv choice, word. In my humble opinion.
I read (or heard, or longshot but possibly invented) that studies show people who swear experience less pain. Personal experience seems to validate the concept, true or not.
It’s funny, I don’t want to be destructively wild anymore but shit, swearing feels fucking good! I’m no stranger to abuse & addiction either. As someone who kind of had two identities from the time I was 19 years old -pm bartender & am teacher; stifling f-bombs in the am was really hard! (As was not treating my bar customers like preschoolers, apropos as it might have been.)
You've given me food for thought. Maybe swearing is destructive in some contexts. Maybe my swearing belies where my health is effecting my filter in ways I could meditate on. Maybe my swearing is about an area where I could work on my emotional regulation. I definitely do “swear like a sailor” as they say and it makes me giggle probably as much as it’s a negative expression, but yeah, gotta wonder what it makes other people feel. This is so great. Thanks for helping me use this sludgey brain of mine.
Thank you for the birthday shout out, H. ❤️ I must say that I never spit out my coffee when I read the part about Birmingham!! I had NO idea!! Dang. Did you ever get caught??
I think the key is to be in control of when you swear. There was a period of my life where I was swearing a lot, and when I caught myself a split-second before I dropped the F-bomb in front of my soon-to-be-mother-in-law, I realized that it was becoming a habit, not a choice. We always taught Charles that there were no "bad" words, only bad places to use them.
And I think there is a power to swearing in print that needs to be used very sparingly. There's definitely a place for it, but if you don't choose those moments carefully, you lose that power. IMHO, last week's column was a place that deserved it.
My middle and high school students are horrific swearers, and as an English teacher, I am vainly trying to get them to be more aware of the way they use language. It's a losing battle. :o(
As always, thank you for sharing your vulnerability, your inclination to swear (I get it!), and your commitment to being a certain kind of moral, caring person. You continue to be @#$!ing amazing. And I'm glad to know that you've had a week without crashes. I care about you.
Hi Hal, Thanks for sharing again. Fritz and I just spent the morning with Anna's family. We ate, the kids cleaned up and Adam did the dishes. We then played Uno and pictionary- it is fun to play. I'm glad you've had a decent week.
Hi Hal. Thanks for being honest! I'm older than you! I never had a wild period. just some fun times! I was like the young woman in your college who you didn't think was real, except I was not a valedictorian! At home, my father cursed a lot, maybe from his army life, I don't know, but I vowed NEVER to be like him. and he smoked and I vowed against that as well. Good thing becausE Ihad asthma! Swearing or not, our ailment, ME doesn't seem to distinquish! Glad you are recovering from major crash!
I love you, Hal. You are and always have been an Excellent Person. Trust your journey.
Thanks,Hal, for the opportunity to share in your spiritual journey both here and in person. Swearing when reduced to common language loses it's impact. But, I think that swearing is the final normal desperate gesture when one gives up power over impossible circumstances and surrenders to the care of their Higher Power. I am sure the historical Jesus was swearing a blue streak in Aramaic before he reached peace with his God and his own death. And yes, I was one of the people that said you chose the right word last in the last podcast.
Good to hear you are feeling better, Hal! I also went through what I think of as “my wild period”, but found my way back. Sometimes that “F” word is the only one that works. Love your honesty and following your journey.
Annie Feeney. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Feeney
She wrote the F word song, and I loved her so much. She was a heartfelt and determined activist and gave her all for all of us. Over and over and over. She died of cancer at 69, she was just my age.
I think swearing has a place, and we all know where it is, and is not. It is a kind of raw emphasis. In some cases, a challenge to power, which is often a good and courageous thing. People of all ages, including high school, have a right to cry out.
Sending love, and gratitude for your unique and singular voice.
Cheers to your rocking assemblies, the learning curve, and your vv choice, word. In my humble opinion.
I read (or heard, or longshot but possibly invented) that studies show people who swear experience less pain. Personal experience seems to validate the concept, true or not.
It’s funny, I don’t want to be destructively wild anymore but shit, swearing feels fucking good! I’m no stranger to abuse & addiction either. As someone who kind of had two identities from the time I was 19 years old -pm bartender & am teacher; stifling f-bombs in the am was really hard! (As was not treating my bar customers like preschoolers, apropos as it might have been.)
You've given me food for thought. Maybe swearing is destructive in some contexts. Maybe my swearing belies where my health is effecting my filter in ways I could meditate on. Maybe my swearing is about an area where I could work on my emotional regulation. I definitely do “swear like a sailor” as they say and it makes me giggle probably as much as it’s a negative expression, but yeah, gotta wonder what it makes other people feel. This is so great. Thanks for helping me use this sludgey brain of mine.
Thank you for the birthday shout out, H. ❤️ I must say that I never spit out my coffee when I read the part about Birmingham!! I had NO idea!! Dang. Did you ever get caught??
I think the key is to be in control of when you swear. There was a period of my life where I was swearing a lot, and when I caught myself a split-second before I dropped the F-bomb in front of my soon-to-be-mother-in-law, I realized that it was becoming a habit, not a choice. We always taught Charles that there were no "bad" words, only bad places to use them.
And I think there is a power to swearing in print that needs to be used very sparingly. There's definitely a place for it, but if you don't choose those moments carefully, you lose that power. IMHO, last week's column was a place that deserved it.
My middle and high school students are horrific swearers, and as an English teacher, I am vainly trying to get them to be more aware of the way they use language. It's a losing battle. :o(
As always, thank you for sharing your vulnerability, your inclination to swear (I get it!), and your commitment to being a certain kind of moral, caring person. You continue to be @#$!ing amazing. And I'm glad to know that you've had a week without crashes. I care about you.
I loved this so much, Hal. I related to it a lot 🧡
Appreciate your writing around swearing, Hal. It's an issue I've been struggling with myself recently.
Finding words that resonate or are powerful enough to express emotion, without using swear words can be really hard! But I'm working on it...
Hi Hal, Thanks for sharing again. Fritz and I just spent the morning with Anna's family. We ate, the kids cleaned up and Adam did the dishes. We then played Uno and pictionary- it is fun to play. I'm glad you've had a decent week.
nearly…not never