Common "common language"

What is happening to language these days? To my way of thinking it's just getting more vulgar and well, common. I grew up in a home where the occasional cuss word was heard, mostly said by my father when he was angry. When I was really young I remember more of that sort of thing, but that changed for some reason and became less and less the older I got, and I'm not sure why. Maybe he was trying to be a better example to his kids.

Cussing at home wasn't something I heard regularly. I almost never heard my mom say anything like that, and I can't remember saying many cuss words myself. I would have been eating soap if I did. For a brief period I did say the word, "crackers!" when something was frustrating me, but I sort of felt that was like wanting to say a cuss word without actually doing it, so I stopped. I have been married for 33 years to the same man and have never heard him say one single cuss word. That's amazing, and "no" he isn't a saint, and "yes" he does get angry.

To listen to people speak today, I feel totally out of it, old, or something. My standards are pretty high in this area, for secretly I also object to all words connoting bathroom functions as well. For all the education people have paid for in this country, it seems it's really hard to express yourself in good words.

I think it is odd and sort of funny that people who would be mortified to hear any religious words spoken in a school or public place, will use God's name in an irreverent way in that very place. God's name is spoken as a cuss word with the prefix of "O" by people in public more times than I would ever say even in a good way. I find that totally ironic.

Well, now to get down to it, here is the crux of this post. What is with the "b*tch" word? I hear it said all over the place. When I was younger that was one of the most vulgar words you could say to a woman. It was contemptuous, vile, and certainly a slanderous word to be flung during a horrible rage. Now everybody seems to say it to everyone else. Has this become a term of endearment? Girls say it to friends, gay guys or gals to each other and other women, boyfriends to girlfriends and girls even proudly say it about themselves. I just don't get it. What's with the dumbing down and vulgarity of our common language?

You can bet that I will hold you in higher esteem if I hear good positive words coming from your mouth. That goes for the President of the United States on down. When I point my finger at someone else though there are three of them pointing right back at me. Just in case you're feeling really guilty, I slip and mess up on a rare occasion. How I really hate that!