Words Are Just Words, People Give Them Meaning

As I've stated a number of times before, I'm less than politically correct. I try not to be prejudicial or stereotypical, but I don't always keep up on the latest trend of what people want to be called. Recently, a friend posted a video about the usage of the word "retard" which brought to mind a story from my teenage years...

I was out in a public place (don't remember where) with a friend of mine and I don't even remember what it was we were specifically talking about, but I do remember looking at my friend and saying, "Well, that's retarded." A woman behind me got all offended and said to me, "I have a daughter that's retarded." Now, of course, I wasn't thinking, so I had no idea what had prompted the woman to share this bit of personal information or to be so offended about it, so I responded with, "Um.... That's nice." It wasn't until much later that I realized what I had actually said to make the woman upset.

The fact of the matter is, words take on the meaning people give them. I have been called a number of things in my lifetime, and not all are pleasant (I know, you're thinking, "No! Not YOU, Ray!"). I had kids in Junior High School call me "Cheater" because they didn't think I could possibly be as smart as I was. Back then, I was upset by this and considered it bullying. I stopped going to school because I didn't want to be around these people. My father got wind of it and, well, made it go away. ("Sarah? I wonder if that could be Chuck's daughter....") (There ARE benefits to living in a smaller city where people know each other.) Now, when I look back on that I think "Cheater" was a compliment. They were calling me smart. See? The word itself didn't change. The actions didn't change. What did? My perception of it and the meaning I gave to the word.

Bottom line is, I'm not defending people who use words in a derogatory fashion. I'm not encouraging use of taboo words to describe people. But I am saying that before you get offended by a word someone else says, consider how your perception of what is being said is affecting the meaning.

And now I'll step off my soap box...

Today's PSA is brought to you by the letter "F".... The letter "F", without you, I could only give a uck.