Member-only story
Featured
LIFE LESSONS
Frequently Profane But Never Vulgar
An exploration of my love of four-letter words and other thoughts on fruity language
Not a Medium member yet? Click here to read the article.
“Norman was frequently profane but never vulgar, something he considered a key Montana distinction.” — Laird Robinson, researcher for Normal Maclean, author of “A River Runs Through It”
Her name was Donna, and she had grown up in some backwater holler in West Virginia in the earlier part of the previous century. I was attending the wedding of my niece in Orlando, Florida, and we were both guests. Donna was from my brother-in-law’s side of the family, but it was the first time we’d met. I knew her sister, who was my sister’s Mother-in-law. One of those convoluted aspects of familial tapestry; family but not related.
Donna was a natural storyteller, smart and funny, economical and expressive. She had a dry touch I appreciated and a slow, easy laugh. I’m not really sure how old she was at the time, for though her mind was sharp, she moved like an old lady. Cautious and slow.
