Wednesday’s Musings

Sarcasm

We can all be sarcastic, and at times, probably obnoxious too.  However, for some it depends on the time and place, and the company kept.

Sadly, I know too many who use sarcasm as a way to hide their personal pain from others in an attempt to appear strong.  I know this all too well, because that’s how I made it through my teenage years.

Lucky for me I’ve moved beyond that, but many don’t, and I often see this behavior on social networking sites, and regrettably, amongst some of my friends.  Age teaches us so much, but we must yield if we truly want to learn what it has to offer.

These days, sarcasm turns me off, and I don’t find it particularly clever.  I realize those who hide behind it, especially when it’s constant, are inclined to be negative, quite possibly unfulfilled.  I already know they are unhappy, and that hurts the most – to see such sadness.

I refuse to acknowledge most sarcastic comments, treating them as if they are genuine (hard to do sometimes).  I find this especially important if you want to move beyond the unpleasantness.  However, when push comes to shove – save your insanity and walk away.  They’ll get the message, one would hope. – paerki

(“I consider conversations with people to be mind exercises, but I don't want to pull a muscle, so I stretch a lot. That's why I'm constantly either rolling my eyes or yawning.” – Jarod Kintz)

Observations

I was hiking the Jones Falls Trail, which had me walking by the zoo. I overheard two conversations from two different families. These were parent to child interactions. The parents (mothers) were in their 30s, and the children (girls) – maybe 4 or 5 years old.

Parent A: “Shut your Motherfuckin' mouth or we ain’t going to the zoo. I said, shut it!”

Parent B: “Heigh-ho, the derry-o, we’re going to the zoo. We’re going to the zoo. We’re going to the zoo. Heigh-ho, the derry-o, I’m going to the zoo… With you!”

Two more sets of parents – fathers to their sons (mid 40s / 6 to 8 years old). The following took place at Artscape:

Parent A: “Boy, stop acting retarded and go to the bathroom.”

Parent B: “I can’t believe how good you behaved. Would you like a snow cone?”

And you wonder why your children turn out the way they do. Good parents don’t use offensive language in front of their children, and they would never, ever think about calling them names.

As a parent, you have to take responsibility to raise non-violent, loving, conscious people. It all starts with parenting. Children learn by example. – paerki

(Thank you for sharing the following, Paul.  In the eyes of a child, what is wrong becomes right when done by an adult.)