The F-Bomb Vs The L-Bomb

Have you ever used the "F-word"? I have.

Sometimes, using the so-called "F-bomb" in a conversation can result in a negative reaction from people. If you say it to your waitress, your honey glazed chicken may have a little more glaze than just honey. Much of the time though, for better or for worse, the f-word is pretty acceptable. I have several close friends and acquaintances that use it regularly in conversation. If I were to also use it, in the context of whatever conversation we might be having, they probably wouldn't think anything of it.

There is another word that is often not too acceptable in a number of situations. It's what I'm calling the "L-Bomb", for no good reason, other than that it starts with "L". I've used it quite a few times and gotten a negative response. If you used it with your waitress (even a different one than you used the F-bomb with), you might still get an extra glaze of spit on your honey glazed chicken. It is generally NOT acceptable to use in everyday conversation and very few people in my life actually ever say it to me.

The "L-Bomb" ... is "love". Somehow, "love" has become a pretty dangerous word to use. There are endless examples of situations in which a person can openly and freely use the F-word. In any of those situations, if the same person were to openly and freely use the L-word, they would quickly become a social outcast. What is so wrong with using the word "love"? Some people would say that the L-word isn't a word that you should just throw around, and I actually agree. You should only use the L-word if you mean it. Even then, being used by someone fully qualified to use it (because they actually mean it), the word "love" somehow still manages to get strange looks, awkward silences, and the general feeling of "you're a F@*#ing weirdo" as a response from many of its recipients.

For a long time, I have had this *strange* philosophy that basically says, "If you love someone, TELL THEM." What I've found through about 16 years of acting on this philosophy, is that in cases where using the word "love" isn't acceptable, MEANING it is even less acceptable. It amazes me that something like the F-word has become more acceptable than one of the most profound and meaningful things that human beings are capable of saying or doing. Say F@#$ to someone, and they'll usually stick around to hear the next word. Say you love someone, and they run and hide. I just don't get it.

Maybe people are afraid. Or maybe love isn't normal. Maybe I've become such a softy that I just love everyone too much. NO, wait a minute, I was like this BEFORE I was a softy... So never mind. That can't be it.

I really don't know the answer to this dilemma. I do know that there are a lot of people whom I love, and the vast majority of them aren't at all comfortable hearing about it. Even some of the people I love the most probably don't want to hear it. Why not? I don't know. Maybe they're secretly longing for me to tell them to F#$@ off.

I guess I'll continue fighting the good fight ... trying to increase acceptance for the L-Bomb over that of the F-Bomb. I'll tell people I love them, and let them squirm around and wiggle their way out of the situation ... flopping around like fish out of water because I, the F$#%@ing weirdo, once again so unnaturally dropped the L-Bomb on them. If you haven't realized this before, you can now consider yourself warned: I might love you... and worse yet, I might actually tell you that I love you. Don't say I didn't warn you.