Saturday, June 12, 2010

Generational Swearing

I have a potty mouth. It's a well know fact.

Since Addie has become verbal I have gotten much better, but on occasion I slip - and am quickly reminded of my indiscretion.

Tonight, while sipping gin and tonics on my father's patio, I heard him drop "ass whipping" and "kick the shit out of you" when chatting with Addie and Emmett.
My sister Kelly and I shushed him and reminded him that he was talking to to mini tape recorders (did I just date myself by saying tape recorders instead of CD burners?).
As I shushed him, I laughed. A little bit out loud and a little bit to myself.

I sorta kinda heart potty mouths.
My older brother said banned words while we were in middle school.
I once got grounded for calling my vice principal a 'frog faced ass'.
My mom convinced me that the middle finger meant "go to hell" - which caused many an argument in college about what that finger really meant. It turns out I knew lots of good words, but the gestures were lost on me.

I digress, Addie and Emmett tried to repeat Papa's phrases but couldn't quite get them right. Not like me.
I remember my first awesome curse.
It was f*ck.

I heard it and I knew it was dirty and awesome. That magical word was uttered by non-other than my Grammy Johnson. The same woman who held me on her lap and murmured songs to me. The same one who always had Jell-O Pudding Pops in the freezer.

My beloved Grammy had a cigarette in one hand and a scotch in the other and said "F*ck you, Johnny. F*ck you." (Johnny was my Grampa).

And I knew it was bad. And I loved it....almost as much as I loved her.

So, while Papa's mouth may be that of a longshoreman (making his mama and his daughter proud) it made me laugh....and I hope, one day, makes her laugh too.
'Cause Papas are awesome.

Even if they have potty mouths.

5 comments:

~Laura said...

Great post. Love the style that you wrote it.

Jillian said...

Lets just face the facts here Jess... that little one doesn't stand a chance on being quite a few things... graceful, quiet, plain and a non-potty mouth. She will inevitably be a cheese loving, beer drinking,trash mouth, tutu wearing bad ass like us! Which isn't so bad if you ask me.

ck said...

I want to hang out on the patio with you and your family. Potty mouths and Jell-O pudding pops are what memories are made of!

AiringMyLaundry said...

I admit, I can have a bit of a potty mouth. My kids will sometimes repeat the stuff and I want to reprimand them but swear words sound so cute coming out of a child's mouth.

Gibby said...

Love this post!!! I have to admit, I love to swear, too. And even though I correct my kids when they do it, I am usually giggling as I tell them to knock it off. It sounds so funny when it comes from them!