Eric lived in Pismo Beach, California and had lived there since he was born. Every day he would bike to his job at the Pismo Coast Village, just over the sandy dunes from the beach. When his cousin, Martha, came to visit, they walked along the coast. She had never been near the ocean. When the discussion between them dwindled and the silence grew, Martha questioned what the strange noise was.
Eric said, “I had no idea what she was talking about. I held my breath and listened carefully, but could recognize nothing.”
Martha then tried to imitate the sound she heard and after a few moments of confusion, realization struck Eric. “The ocean,” he said, “She was talking about the ocean.” Eric had heard the ocean sound since before he could remember, so the sound had not even registered in his mind.
Some people can ignore their blaring alarm clock in the morning. It would seem impossible to tune out the loud, obnoxious noise but it is possible because the brain adjusts and ignores something it has heard repeatedly.
Likewise, our society has accommodated profane language. Many easily dismiss swearing as the norm. Has it become so common that maybe – just maybe – it has lost its shock value? Profanity was originally defined as taking something sacred and treating it with abuse or irreverence. To swear was to make profane utterances deemed contrary to public morality standards, but now swearing is something used to describe everyday passing and activities.
So why does the young generation today deem swearing as a worthy way to communicate?
Kayla was on a date with one other couple, and during their attempts to find a hidden restaurant located in the recesses of the town, deep conversation opened between her and her date. After swearing a few times, her date apologized “in advance” for any swearing that might occur that evening. “He hadn’t even realized he’d already sworn twice,” Kayla said, still in disbelief. “His face was confused when I told him what I’d already heard him say.”
To swear or profane in times past was the language of a lower, less educated class. The educated and the wealthy people avoided using such words and out of concern for reputation. This brings to question the idea of our culture’s level of education and upbringing: Are we no longer raising leaders who know how to conduct themselves with dignity? Are kids growing up in a culture where they don’t know otherwise? Maybe it’s time people start hitting the off button on the alarm, pay attention to their degrading words, and start the mundane ringing of alarms.
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