The energy, buzz and excitement of my Edinburgh Fringe trip is largely over but for the occasional glimpse of someone else’s experience, via a twitter feed. Like the popular fiction summer school, I assumed the Fringe would again fire up lots of creative ideas that would keep me lifted, upbeat and firing on all cylinders for a good few weeks. But this has not been the case, timing plays a factor as always. I unpacked from my Edinburgh trip, re-packed to go sort out familial domestics and I felt myself return to earth with a big bump. Let the swearing begin.
Ironically though, my expletives were not completely unrelated to my experiences at the Fringe. One of the performances we saw named Shit https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/shit also had a large impact on me. The first ten minutes was a compelling, long tirade of profanity. The only thought going through my head was “…and people think I swear a lot!” It was a strong, energetic, punchy performance by three excellent actors – women ‘totally owning their shit’.
For me, swearing is a harmless release. I don’t swear for the sake of swearing, it’s a deep instinctive response to a shift in my being. The shift reminds me, I have purpose, I have worth and I am obligated to keep pushing for the things I believe in, to make life better. That said, I should also be meditating on a regular basis, sticking to a focussed schedule and kindling a spiritual connection to something greater than myself. Unfortunately the combination of these fundamentals looks too much like pushing a boulder uphill, when they should be organic to my life. [Insert your own swear word as appropriate here] I’ll get there one day. Swearing is quick, easy and provides a safer, saner option in angrier times than a physical response. Expletives can also convey my amazement, shock, joy, honesty, frustration and satisfaction to name a few expressions.
People have been, are and will be offended by my swearing but most close friends and family have come to realise over time, it is a relatively harmless, yet truthful aspect of my personality. Creative people are traditionally renown for extroverted, larger than life behaviour. So while I’m not actually throwing any televisions out of the window, I consider my predilection to swearing as tame by comparison.
