Speaking Truth
While at a five-day writing workshop in Winston-Salem last week, I met a woman I came to admire within hours of making her acquaintance. She is beautiful, funny, smart, and kind. She speaks freely of her love of God. And she cusses like you wouldn’t believe.
It’s not that I admire her for her salty tongue. But I do appreciate that she is honest about who she is. A minister who is as broken as the rest of us, and willing to admit it. A single mother who does not have the answers, but delights in sitting with the questions. A woman who is not afraid to use harsh language when she thinks it’s warranted. Maybe it’s not a big deal, that I met someone who struck me as unapologetically honest and refreshingly forthcoming. But it sure felt good to hang out with her.
Comments
I like this woman too, just based on your description.
It's funny. It makes me think about something I noticed not long after I moved South. The women don't swear here. It's considered impolite, and worse yet, impropitious. I missed my friends from the earthy Midwest, where swearing was just a part of communicating, just a part of life like beer and dairy cows. Needless to say, for quite some time, I had some difficulty fitting in to this Southern culture (still do, dammit).
And you know, I love that this follows your previous post. This, as you've described it here, is what Faith should be, I think. It's about Real, even with the swear words left in. Thanks.