Last night, I was in the grocery store with my wife, when I walked away to get something in a different area of the store. After about a minute in this new section, I hear someone coming from around the corner, cursing up a storm. When she finally appeared within my view, I noticed she was talking to someone on her cell phone, using bad language as if she were in her own living room, or at a party with her friends.

Obviously grocery stores are public areas. Within range was a mother and her young child, and an elderly couple. I was horrified and embarrassed for this woman's bad behavior, and it really made me wonder what's happened to respect for other people in this country. In the same moment, I had this thought; she didn't just learn this behavior through osmosis, so she probably picked it up at home, from her parents. And then that bothered me because her parents were probably around my age, and we certainly didn't talk like that to our parents back in the 60's and early 70's.

Or did we, or maybe some of you, since I've never uttered a curse word? I was a military kid, and though I knew military men cursed around each other in work situations, when it came to being around families, especially children, it was rare to hear bad language from a parent unless they were extremely angry. And, in circles where my friends might utter bad words, they certainly never said it around any adults; it just wasn't done.

There's a theory out there that by uttering all these words, curse words, racial stereotypical words, bad words towards women, etc, that it makes these words lose their power to offend, and soon they won't have any meaning at all. I don't believe that theory one bit, especially since the proliferation of firearms makes any situation instantly become possibly critical and life threatening. I still tend to believe that a little bit of decorum, a little bit of common courtesy, and a little bit of restraint, will go a much longer and safer way.

And really; would you use that language at someone if your business and financial life were in their hands? I think not.