In Praise of the F Word

NPR had a great story this week. Life in the Boomer Lane won’t summarize it here. She will simply say that the father in the story never used curse words, until his son accidently shot him. He then made up for time in the next ten minutes. Science, that pesky little critter who people either respect or don’t believe exists, or, in LBL’s case, ruined her life in college, doesn’t know why people curse, only that, for some reason, it’s enormously satisfying. And sometimes, it’s enormously appropriate. During LBL’s long adult life, there have been numerous times when the F word was the only word that fit the occasion.

April, 1975 (after 45 hours of labor) If this f-ing baby isn’t born right now, I will remove it myself.

4 months later No f-ing way I can be pregnant again this soon.

April, 1976 labor starts F word, it’s way too early.

1980 birth of #3 We are f-ing outnumbered now.

3 years later I refuse to f-ing potty train one more human.

2008 Obama’s first win F word yes!!!

2012 Obama’s second win He did it again! F word yeeeeessssss!!!

2016 Election evening I’m in a f-ing nightmare.

2017 Trump Inauguration F word. F word. F word. F word.

the next 4 years What the f-ing F word?

2020 Presidential announcement of COVID He’s the f-ing national emergency, not COVID.

2020 Death of RGB There goes the f-ing Supreme Court.

2022 Invasion of Ukraine What the F word did he just do?