Fuck That Shit

Apparently, it's no cussing week. To which I say, It's about fucking time.

I had this friend, a fellow smart kid, in grammar school. He was named John M. and he was a nice enough guy, very bright and not too big of a nerd. I, on the other hand, was too big of a nerd. But I knew that. I knew I was a nerd. So I learned how to cuss and I did it with great frequency and enthusiasm. It was 1973. There was a lot to be angry about. But John didn't see it that way. I would say "I don't give a shit." Or I would say "I don't give a fuck." Or sometimes I would say "I don't give a flying fuck." Mind you, I was ten, and it would be years before I even really appreciated what a "flying fuck" was. But I said it anyways. John took great offense at my colorful language. He would ask me, politely - as all inveterate non-cussers do - to not cuss, and he suggested that I say, instead "I don't give a care." I remember two things about my response to him. First, I remember being stunned that he cared what I was saying. My immediate reaction was gratitude: "Someone is paying attention!" My next reaction "Geez, what a busybody!" And secondly, I carefully explained to him that "give a care" did not accurately represent what I wished to convey. I mean, what the fuck?