Sunday Sermon [Profanity]

¡Hola! Everybody...
How is everybody?!! LOL I had a great time with some frie4nds at yesterday’s baby shower. A good friend of mine is having his first bay -- he’s only 1-2 younger than I. gotta love his optimism! LOL The weather was good and there was plenty of opportunity for me to indulge in one of my fare pastimes: flirting! I’m off to wander the streets of the city...

I caught these cloud formations this past Friday, while on a date with a woman I will n3ver date again -- ever. People all over stopped in the street to look and marvel at these clouds. My camera is a good camera, but is not meant to capture nuances, but I tried...

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-=[ Profanity ]=-

I cuss all the time. I’ve been known to drop f-bombs even in a professional context. I enjoy using profanity in my writing. I use fuck like a good cook uses condiments: sprinkled liberally here and there to add emphasis or tone or color.

One thing, though, 99% of the time I don’t use profanity as an expression of anger. For me, saying fuck is just something natural. I like the profane; it’s part of my path. I think people let me get away with my use of profanity exactly because it isn’t grounded in anger. “Skillful” speech -- the commitment to refrain from harming verbally -- is one of my precepts. It’s also one of my weaker aspects, though I really don’t believe I am a verbally abusive person. I will, however, “call a muthafucka out” in a NY minute. LOL

I was taught the following exercise a few years ago. Actually, it was a different exercise, but I have adopted it for my purposes here...

Think of the dirtiest cuss word you know. Whatever that word is, say it loud (make sure alone! LOL!). Say it several times. After a while, say “I love you,” imagining that you are with someone you love. Say, “I love you,” several times, con ganas -- with feeling.

Alternate between saying your dirtiest and “I love you,” until you can say the dirty word with as much love, openness of heart, and gentleness as “I love you.”

If you can, do the exercise with someone you trust -- a friend or lover, alternate saying your nastiest chosen profanity and “I love you” out loud, until he or she feels your love equally expressed through both expressions. Choose another nasty word, and repeat this process. Nassy word, I love you, nassy word, I love you... until the felt expression of your love is carried equally by both expressions.

After transforming profane words into messengers of your love, practice saying every word that you speak, from this moment until you die, in a way that feels like “I love you,” to whoever hears it. Use this practice to develop the ability to become aware when you’re speaking without love. Return to this exercise, starting with the filthiest word you can think of, until you can speak every word, once again, as a message of love.

This may take some practice -- for me it has taken decades. But I love the process...

Love,

Eddie