Falling from Grace

Posted on April 16, 2003 in Adolescence Book of Days

Note: I have to rescue myself from the Homeland War Syndrome described in the next article. So, for the next thirty days at least, I have resolved to complete one exercise each day from A Writer’s Book of Days, written by Judy Reeves who specializes in ways to break open the imagination. For tips on how to conduct her style of writing practice, click here.

Today’s Topic: Write about falling from grace.

Dedicated to Crazy Tracy, the fucking queen.

I fell from grace when I first got up the courage to say “Fuck”. It took me a long time. The other kids used it freely and sometimes they said it to the teacher as in “Get your fucking hands off me, bitch” which merited a suspension in those days. Every time I tried to use it, I got all choked up. I wasn’t sure what it meant even after I took sex ed and knew what fit into what. They didn’t teach you the slang for these things. They used words like “penis”, “vagina”, and “coitus”. I only learned what a dick was because boys drew graphic pictures of the things all the time — hair, urine, and wrinkled skin — and pointed. But the F-word was a mystery. I never used it, not even after I heard my father use it — he was vulgar but for a long time, I never suspected that he knew it. It was eighth or maybe ninth grade that the word first came through my lips. One day — I’m not sure of the exact circumstances — someone shoved me or pushed me too far in a tease; then I said loud and clear “Fuck off”.

Personal comments and trackback links welcome.

---

Tomorrow: Write about what’s under your house.