Saturday, November 11, 2006

word.

Attended a fine dinner party last night with about seven people. Convivial, cordial, fine food and drink, but there was one guy I'd never met before who liberally sprinkled everything he said with the adjective "fuckin'". He was thirtyish, educated, married with a nice young child (in attendance), so what's his deal? Are we at the point where "fuckin'" is just standard dinner party parlance? I suppose I'm a little too sensitive and old school, but is the "new school" simply the ambandonment of any social standards? My wife Kelly was making repeated references to the fact that I showed up to dinner in a white t-shirt, but at least I didn't spend my time teaching the little boy a series of expletives as he drew a haunted house while sitting on his own at the coffee table. My problem in such circumstances is that I'm too gutless to say to the dad, "Would you mind putting a little thought into your language?" He looked like he works out quite a bit and I take incessant swearing for a sign of willingness to beat the crap out of emotionally sensitive punks like me. Saying nothing leaves me feeling like Caspar Milquetoast, too cowed by another man's 'roid rage to show a little gallantry in front of the ladies. So, great food, fine company, then a bad taste in my mouth as we walked home. The swearing guy owns nightclubs - I do not find this an honorable profession. Kelly found it amusing that two hours into the evening, the guy said "God damn" and his son said "Daddy said a bad word." Apparently the dad says "fuckin'" so much that junior no longer processes it. All I can say is good fuckin' luck kid.