I have several pet peeves but one of them I'll share with you.
Swearing.
I know I've sworn on this blog from time to time but I certainly don't make a habit of it. The same can be said when I am writing e-mail, tweeting, talking in therapy sessions or to family or friends.
I don't like swearing. I especially don't like some of the very popular text acronyms for swearing. Why? Even though the person is not typing out the swear words, I am reading the acronyms using the swear words.
I don't think people realize how often these are being used. They've become as commonplace as any other word. The problem is this: I don't know what the writer is trying to say.
If someone I was having a conversation with said, "W-T-F," I would have no clue what they meant. Seriously. Do you speak using letters or words?
If someone said, "L-M-A-O," I would see them doing this so they wouldn't have to say the letters to me. Using the letters by themselves would be confusing.
When I swear I am usually so angry I can't think of any other word to communicate how deeply I feel the anger. I don't swear when I'm happy nor do I swear just to swear. It's always anger, rage or total frustration.
Swearing, in my opinion, tells me the person does not yet know the proper vocabulary for expressing emotions. Sometimes it's up to us to seek out that vocabulary. I've had to retrain my swearing. I've had to think about what I'm really feeling and try to match it to an emotion instead of a swear word.
I'm by no means judging anyone or claiming to be perfect, believe me. By having an emotions list, I'm better able to express myself so I can have resolution to my problems in a mature manner. One that honors God.
There are many emotion lists on the internet. I chose not to post one because they vary in type of content. If you type "Emotion Words" in the search, you'll have plenty to look at.
Think about it. What is swearing covering up for you?
