Say What?
The more talk, the less truth.
The wise measure their words.
Proverbs 10:19
One summer, I boarded a train to NYC to visit my daughter. The train was supposed to depart at 12:15pm. When we finally boarded at 2:45pm, the train was so full, we had assigned seats. I was given seat #38 in a coach that was two cars back from the cafe car.
My end of the train was filled to the brim with single mothers with a bevy of children - few of whom were particularly well-behaved. They had already been on the train for over 18 hours, and the camaraderie had obviously worn thin. A sweet elderly woman was my seatmate, and as I eased into my place, she said: "Cover your ears and hold on!" As the train pulled from the station, one of the kids directly behind me did something wrong, and his mother opened her mouth and let fly. In the next seven hours, until the last group got off the train in Newark, NJ, I heard more four letter words screamed at full roar than I've heard in my entire life. The f-word, the d-word, the s-word - you name a letter of the alphabet and someone uttered a corresponding curse.
When they left the train in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and finally, Newark, the atmosphere was quiet for the first time in seven long hours. I thought sadly of those poor kids who were the recipients of such overwhelming oral filth. Sure, they were more than a handfull: spoiled, obstinate, and mouthy. But if a steady diet of curse words is what those children heard at home, day in and day out, they will most likely perpetuate that same atmosphere when they grow up and become moms and dads. Unfortunately, vile language is a gift that keeps on giving.
*
No comments:
Post a Comment