Expressions I Dislike or Don't Understand

Many of us fall into the habit of using the same old expressions. I do it. Descriptive phrases should cause your mind to paint a picture. And sometimes, the picture is not one I want floating around in my brain.

A few examples:

"I've got a sh*t-pot full of work to do."
"You're sh*tting me." (This one also falls in the category of an expression I don't understand.)
"All grown up and haired over."

I dislike overused catch phrases. My current pet peeve is:

"It is what it is." I always want to respond, "According to whom?"

I understand some phrases in context but I can't quite wrap my mind around them. For example:

"Love a duck."
"Puttin' on the dog."
"Painting the town."

The husband tells a story that occurred during his service in Vietnam. I'll botch it but here's the gist of it. A serviceman was determined to need a mental evaluation. Lots of weird behavior. The base psychiatrist or psychologist was a little harsh with the husband because he had mentally checked off "crazy" in his mind. Turns out, they agreed the guy was nutso. I don't remember all of his quirks but the one that sticks in my mind is that he loved to read the dictionary. I think he had read it three or four times.

God is funny. The husband also thinks I'm nutso. Plus, I am rarely without a dictionary within reach.

Proud of You

Maya Angelou says one of the greatest gift you can give a child is to have your eyes light up when they enter a room. I agree. There are other ways you can tell a child or a friend or a parent that they're touching your heart.

"I love you" is the obvious. It never loses impact. I can say "I love you" over and over again and whomever I am speaking to will never get how strong that emotion is raging through me.

When you say, "I'm proud of you," you're usually speaking to your child or someone's child who is important in your life. Most adults don't swap this phrase with each other. I wish we would.

Phrases with Impact

"I love you" is obvious. But other phrases pack a powerful punch.

I was driving home today. Jan called just to chat. During our conversation, she said, "I miss you." Wow!

Another conversation was with my mother and she's annoyed with me about something that happened weeks ago. She said, "I'm not over it." I replied, "Get over it!" But secretly, I mulled it over and decided I could've handled the situation better.

When the baby was truly a baby (about 4 or 5,) he did something harmless but wrong. Big Daddy said to him, "I'm disappointed in that choice." The baby hid under the desk for a while until finally, I crawled under there with him.

Maya Angelou said that the greatest gift you can give a child is to have your eyes light up whenever they enter a room. She's partially right.

I think the greatest gift you can give a child is the phrase, "I'm proud of you."

I love you

It's a wonderful feeling and a wonderful phrase. I say it multiple times a day. One of the benefits of aging is realizing the precious gift of love.

If you're blessed, parental love is safe and comforting. If you're blessed, you still love your spouse or significant other. Friends are beloved but I'm shocked that so few people feel comfortable using the phrase. Of course, 99 percent of the population claims to love their children yet I continue to meet people who were never told this in their childhood. Other than the times my mother hangs up on me, we always say, "I love you." I say it freely and often.

Hate is the antithesis of love. Other than the husband, when I'm feeling the hate, I don't tell anyone. What's the point? It will pass.

I used to tuck the baby in at night. (Remember, the baby is 18-years old and headed off to college.) After prayers, I turned off the light and said, "I love you." His teenage sister wouldn't allow me to tuck her in but the last words she heard from me before falling asleep were the same.

There are people who go through their entire lives without hearing this phrase. It won't be anyone in my life.

Not My Problem

There are certain phrases that get things done. My current favorite is, "Not my problem." Today, a girlfriend told me a story of a business/negotiation situation. Clients tried to explain why things weren't going according to plan. Guess what phrase she used in response?

I have never used this phrase with the oldies. I'm holding it for when I need to bring out the big guns.