Choice of Words

Every once in a while we come across people who use so called bad words freely when they talk. Sometimes they apologize saying "Pardon my French" after they say their favorite words and at other times they just say them. I've been thinking about this on and off since quite a few years when I first came across this phrase "Pardon my French".

Actually, it was one of the Indian aunties (who also used to be our neighbor) from whom I first heard this phrase. We were driving some place and some driver cut in front of her and she said one of those famous words that you don't hear in a decent conversation. Later on, she apologized but I thought, is that how you lash out at someone? I thought there were better ways to get angry/show your anger than that.

Then at other instance, we were visiting some relative of a family friend who were from Navsari (that's a city near by from Mumbai in India). Actually, we were not visiting but our family friend had to drop off something at their place so we stopped by on our way to a function. We must have spent less than 10 mins at their place but by the time we were out, my dad was really upset and told us all to never step foot in their home. Later on, I found out from aunty (because dad was so upset he refused to even say the reason) that the host using a bad word practically every other word in their sentence. And it made me think... why would someone do that? Have these people got no respect for their language?

In the past, I have come across some colleagues, male and female (I was so shocked at first!), also who'd freely use such words at work during normal conversation or when something goes wrong or something bad happens unexpectedly.

And then there are drivers or other people whom you meet randomly on the street or highway that are having a really bad day that they decide to take it out on you by giving you some bad gesture. I really feel sorry for them. It's too bad they don't have anywhere else to let that anger out but on the road at a stranger who hasn't done anything bad to them.

I remember once a not-so-close friend of my sister told her, "Wow! I've noticed that you never use any bad words. How do you manage that?" and my sister had responded with a smile that she just didn't like that kind of behavior. Later on, my sister and I had just laughed at the thought that people actually had to make an attempt not to say bad words.

Of course, majority of the people I encounter during the day are very decent and aren't very rude to say whatever without thinking but then again I wonder, why do people choose to speak and act so low? What kind of pleasure are they getting out of it? It does them more harm then good I believe. I wish these folks became little more decent than they are, for the greater good.