When Grownups Say Bad Stuff

I think I said something profound after swearing at a fellow motorist yesterday.

It seems like it's the same thing at every four-way stop in America: most other drivers don't know what to do (or, equally likely,  don't care). We were coming home from school like we do every day, and a black SUV proceeded through the intersection when I clearly had the right of way. The split second before the SUV started plowing through, I had stepped on the gas too and was already in the intersection when Ms. Important decided it was okay to proceed.

I reacted like anyone else would--by yelling "a--hole!"

After the SUV actually backed up and we were through the intersection, a little voice behind me asked, "Mom, what does that word mean?"

Oops.

The rest of the conversation went like this:

Me: "Um...it's a bad word."
Bug: "I know."
Me: "I shouldn't have said that. Sometimes grownups say bad words when they get scared and angry."
Bug: "Why would you say bad words when you're scared and angry?"
Me: "Well, honey, when people get scared and angry, their brains have a hard time making good decisions. And sometimes they say or do things they shouldn't."

Then I thought to myself, wow, Prickly Mom, I think you might be on to something profound with that statement there. I'm in a near-constant state of fear and/or anger (which probably explains my high blood pressure, exhaustion, migraines, and a host of other stuff...but I digress).

Let's chew on that one a while. It sounds like a piece of wisdom that might apply in many situations...for all of us.