As I sit here the conversation outside my house (which I can hear quite clearly) goes something like this:

‘F*%$ you!

No F*$% you – you idiot.

Get F*%$ed Brandon I’m not an idiot’

It continues in that vein but you get the gist I’m sure. These are the 9 year old boys who live in my street. They are nice kids – but they say bad words… and I hear them.

I’m sitting here wondering what to do…

My first instinct is to tell them to pull their heads in and chill out… Once a school teacher…

Knowing that wouldn’t ‘work’ and having already established a decent relationships with these boys I am pondering a better way.

I know there is much debate over the ‘F Word’ and some would say it doesn’t matter. Maybe they are right, but if so I am yet to be convinced. Perhaps what concerns me is what these boys are expressing – what they are trying to say in their ‘f-ing’

Now – I am not offended by the F word – you wouldn’t have many friends if you were! But is it acceptable practice in everyday language?…

Something tells me ‘no’.

I understand the arguments for abolishing this thing called ‘swearing’ altogether, but I’m not convinced. My guess is that if our world sees the F word as inappropriate then we need to tune into that.

People seem to have a conscience in relation to what is / is not appropriate conduct.

Then again having watched Billy Conolly last night I’m not sure he’d agree. He compares language to weather – ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes’. he would argue there is no such thing as bad language.

Is there? Should we even be concerned about it?