Incoherant Ramblings from a First-Time Father of an Extraordinary Daughter, along with Musings on Life, Food, Books, Entertainment, Running (heh - yeah, right) and Poetry all with a Lousy Dawg
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A-Yep
http://youtu.be/1iSlok6muY0
And while you are at it, you can stop and think a moment before you use the word "Lame".
How we use certain words has always been a tough issue for me, because words seem to be so fluid and change with our culture. The word "retard", for instance, has been a musical term for WAY longer (centuries) than it has been a term applied to someone with mental slowness. It is on every piece of sheet music I own. It's simply a term that means "slow" or "slow down". I find it more offensive that this term was, at some point, applied to PEOPLE (when that was never it's original intent). Now that things have shifted and the word has been generally acceptedly used as a term for mental disability, music is changing and using it less. I find that so interesting. Another term that has changed in that same way is "gay". While it used to mean one thing, the meaning was somehow changed to mean homosexual. So now no one uses it to mean "happy". The Christian rainbow is a similar icon. Once used to represent God's promise, it is now commonly accepted as a symbol that reflects someone's sexuality. So I guess my question is: is the word "lame" still used to describe a person with a physical disability? I mean, I hear it all the time, and say it all the time, to mean basically "something that isn't as it should be" like a lame concert or a lame book. I can't think of a time in my lifetime that I heard the word applied to a person with an actual physical disability, so I guess I maybe (falsely?) assumed that it had its own meaning. Or maybe I just never really thought about it. Do you hear people referring to Anabelle as "lame"? That seems shocking to me (and sad) given that lame has taken on its own meaning over the last few decades and applying it to a person would be offensive. I may be way off. Just trying to understand. I would feel horrible if my use (or anyone's) of the word lame caused you offense or sadness, when certainly none is intended. It's tough with those words that are only used one way (in our lifetime) but were used a different way for the generation before, or even the new generation that we're not quite yet hip with (like kids saying "sick" to mean "cool"...something that is totally lost on me.)
This is a good point. I know that most people do not associate the word "lame" with an inability to walk however, time after time we are told Jesus healed the lame, sick and blind. In certain circles, the word lame is still very much used to describe someone who cannot walk.
I will be honest, when someone uses the word "lame" to mean something dumb or stupid, I think of Annie every single time and every single time it stings a little. HOWEVER . . .
I understand that if I were to ever share that with a person in a conversation when the word is used, they would be mortified. So I don't make an issue of it and I never say anything about it. I don't want to be a person with a PC chip on their shoulder. It drives my wife THROUGH THE ROOF though.
Seeing this video this morning seemed to offer a good opportunity to finally say something about it though. It does hurt - but (to me at least) it's not a huge deal.
5 comments:
Awesome.
Beautiful. And great photo at the end too.
How we use certain words has always been a tough issue for me, because words seem to be so fluid and change with our culture. The word "retard", for instance, has been a musical term for WAY longer (centuries) than it has been a term applied to someone with mental slowness. It is on every piece of sheet music I own. It's simply a term that means "slow" or "slow down". I find it more offensive that this term was, at some point, applied to PEOPLE (when that was never it's original intent). Now that things have shifted and the word has been generally acceptedly used as a term for mental disability, music is changing and using it less. I find that so interesting. Another term that has changed in that same way is "gay". While it used to mean one thing, the meaning was somehow changed to mean homosexual. So now no one uses it to mean "happy". The Christian rainbow is a similar icon. Once used to represent God's promise, it is now commonly accepted as a symbol that reflects someone's sexuality. So I guess my question is: is the word "lame" still used to describe a person with a physical disability? I mean, I hear it all the time, and say it all the time, to mean basically "something that isn't as it should be" like a lame concert or a lame book. I can't think of a time in my lifetime that I heard the word applied to a person with an actual physical disability, so I guess I maybe (falsely?) assumed that it had its own meaning. Or maybe I just never really thought about it. Do you hear people referring to Anabelle as "lame"? That seems shocking to me (and sad) given that lame has taken on its own meaning over the last few decades and applying it to a person would be offensive. I may be way off. Just trying to understand. I would feel horrible if my use (or anyone's) of the word lame caused you offense or sadness, when certainly none is intended. It's tough with those words that are only used one way (in our lifetime) but were used a different way for the generation before, or even the new generation that we're not quite yet hip with (like kids saying "sick" to mean "cool"...something that is totally lost on me.)
This is a good point. I know that most people do not associate the word "lame" with an inability to walk however, time after time we are told Jesus healed the lame, sick and blind. In certain circles, the word lame is still very much used to describe someone who cannot walk.
I will be honest, when someone uses the word "lame" to mean something dumb or stupid, I think of Annie every single time and every single time it stings a little. HOWEVER . . .
I understand that if I were to ever share that with a person in a conversation when the word is used, they would be mortified. So I don't make an issue of it and I never say anything about it. I don't want to be a person with a PC chip on their shoulder. It drives my wife THROUGH THE ROOF though.
Seeing this video this morning seemed to offer a good opportunity to finally say something about it though. It does hurt - but (to me at least) it's not a huge deal.
You've got me in a puddle.
And thank you.
Beautiful.
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