This entry is meant to be a lesson in culture values. You
may also find it creates some thought about values, period. We all have our
values. Maybe we are clear on them and perhaps they are cloudier than black and
white.
Often, we put labels on these values. Some religion,
someplace we live. I am clear on my values. I am an American Hippie, male,
full-stop. Of course I don't know what judgments
you have from that classification. I know what it means to me.
It means I value and prefer the paths of peace (over
violence), love (as opposed to hate) and understanding (if not personally
agreeing).
Recently another person that I value highly and for a long
time period was informing me of a positive event. I responded with, "That's great
shit!" The receiver of this positive note informed me they did not see anything
great about shit, overall.
That was a surprise to me. And it got me thinking about how
the meanings of words a sender of information may intend can be taken in a completely
different context. Not long ago, I was leading a break out session for Small
Business Nation. I opened like this.
Raise your hand if you know Harry. Ok thanks. Now raise your
hand if you know Bee. Thanks. Now everyone put your hands down, and only raise
one if you know both of them. OK, great. Now keep your hand up if you just met
them at this conference. Oh Wow. Thank you.
To those who have your hands up now, I'm sorry. I forgot to
tell you I invited a guest to be among us. That would be Moses. I invited him
to be with us in a meta-physical way today. Now I suppose you cannot see him
because he just fell off of his chair and on to the floor. Because in his world
and language, those with your hands in the air just publically admitted that
you just met this male and female here at this conference. And that you enjoyed
them both so much you engaged in after hour's physical activity, with both of
them last night.
Oh shit.
I have been doing considerable research on that word the
past few days. It turns out that in the USA
and Western Canada, the word shit has become a
variable, such as X in math, or foo in computer programming. It is far more
flexible than ‘stuff' because it can be used for as a variable for physical
things, in addition to the expression of emotions.
No shit.
Asking about, our fluid language adopted this new variable
somewhere about 1962. George Carlin created a monologue about in the mid- 60's.
The monolog was popular because of the vast and rapid change over from
something less than pleasant in many cases, to a variable.
I fully admit some American citizens do not particularly
enjoy this variable. I only have to look as far as some of my own siblings to realize
this. To that I say, tough shit.
Years ago, it was a national shock when on screen in the
movie, Gone With the Wind; Clark Gable said to Scarlett, "Frankly my dear, I
don't give a damn." I suspect if the movie was made in the ‘60's, he would have
used the variable that has been so popular for almost 50 years. Or maybe not.
It might not have raised the shock value. Well, since they didn't make the
movie in the ‘60's, I don't give a shit. If you do, tell me about in the
comments.
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