NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

I composed this in the form of a letter to the editor, a couple of years ago. The content is timely now again.

As we come to the end of yet another year it is time to prepare New Years resolutions. It has long been my custom to make resolutions for the beginning of a new year.  In the next few days I will make my resolutions for the arrival of 2014.

In 2011 just a few days into the year we lost Mrs. Faye Darsey and her death touched me deep within my heart. When she died I had already made my resolutions for the year. It was with Mrs. Darsey in mind that I added another resolution during the spring of 2011.

I don't recall exactly when it was but I know it was only a few weeks after Mrs. Darsey's passing when I was informed at breakfast that I had spoken horrible language in my sleep during the night. I've always talked  in my sleep and I'm known to use colorful language to put it mildly.

This particular beautiful spring morning I was told "last night you used the F word again repeatedly". There had been other mornings that I'd been told this and each time it made me feel terrible. This particular morning after being told about my language and how bad it sounded my thoughts went to my beloved high school English teacher Mrs. Darsey. As I returned to the breakfast table with my after breakfast cup of coffee I sat silently thinking about my language. As i stared into my cup I slowly thought of times before ever having heard that word spoken aloud. I eventually drifted into thought about speaking properly and naturally my thought turned to Mrs. Darsey. I sat there for a long time that morning and finally I came to think about how glad I was that I had never talked like that in the presence of my Mother or Mrs. Darsey.

My Father used profanity frequently but in all of his life I never heard the F word pass his lips. That word was not spoken much when I was a teenager or in my early adult years. In fact it was not spoken much in mixed company until the mid to late seventies. Nowadays you even hear otherwise nice ladies speak the very foul word.

The F word is not an adjective or adverb as it is so often used. It also seems to be used in every other "word form" imaginable. In fact, I now notice how frequently it is used by so many people and it is a reflection of our loss of pride of proper speech.

Well back to that spring day I was later that afternoon talking with my young cousin when I let the F word slip and instantly I paused and thought of the conversation at breakfast. Then and there I vowed to cease using the word. I explained to my cousin that I had used the word repeatedly in my sleep the night before.
I further declared right then that as a tribute to Mrs. Darsey I would not use that word out of context anymore.

I have since then decided to make it a tribute to all those who taught us at the old Bradwell Institute campus on Washington Avenue. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have been schooled there were truly blessed.We were taught how to read and write and speak as well.

Now and into the future I propose that we all consider how we have become lazy with our speech in conversation with others

I want to take this opportunity to ask all who might read this to join me in this resolve to make the future better than the present.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Sincerely

Jimmy Smith
December 10, 2013