on profanity

In our culture, profane words are tossed around like a frisbee at a park. No one thinks twice about what the word implies, or what effect it might have. Such is the case both at my work and school. The f-word is a staple in everyone's vocabulary - an adjective used almost as frequently as any other.

Naturally, if you hear something regularly, it begins to invade your thoughts. What I think tends to spill out my mouth. Ah, I tone it down a bit. Nothing major. Just a bit of dabbling here and there. No biggie.

Or so I thought. But my sojourn in the land of colorful language is now over, and I have come to an unforunate conclusion. It is simply this: I have never heard a positive word of profanity. Yeah, inserting a colorful word here and there definitely adds force and distinction to whatever I am trying to communicate - but what message am I sending? Positive, or negative? Joy, or discontentment? Life, or death?

There are two different ways I've heard profanity used. The first is simply inserting some vulgarity, if you will, as a coloful adjective. Example: "My freaking (or thereabouts) cell phone is ringing!" I am still puzzling over why people do this. Yeah, it can be funny, but it seems useless to add profanity in such examples. Why bother? Pointless. And, personally, not worth it.

On the flip side, sometimes I really need to express my anger. I need to let it out - blow off steam, so it doesn't eat me up inside. Expressing how I truly feel about something, vulgarities and all, often seems to dispel some of my frustration. But...I wonder if there is a more productive way to handle anger. I wonder if cussing when something goes wrong perhaps feeds the fire, rather than dispelling it. I haven't tested this hypothesis much, so it is just that - a hypothesis. Perhaps you will hear more about this aspect later. =)

I want to be a person full of grace and kindness. Somone who is a joy to be around - who brings life into the place where I am. Not only that, I want to like being around myself! In my experience, I have found that negativizing never makes me happy.

I'm beginning to sense that profanity is never a blessing, so what's the gain?

No gain.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

ephesians 6/29

Thoughts? Comments? Constructive criticism?