The "B" Word

So I spent much of today hanging out with my former roommate from my sophomore year of college. The other Christopher I would consider one of my closest friends in college.

It's weird how we have the same initials C.E.N., we're both cancers Christopher is two days older than me, we're both Resident Assistants, we're both members of a honorary leadership society at school.

I think we've even grown closer in the years since we were direct roommates.

Here's what I wrote in his honesty box a few months back:

"The best way to describe you would perhaps be as I describe myself. I'd describe you as an introvert by nature, an extrovert by choice. I'm happy though that you've found a good balance. Continue to be the funny, charming, and charismatic person many of us have grown to love."

He figured out it was me. How? He said, "I knew it was you...you write like you talk...and you use proper grammar."

Umm well I try to use proper grammar. One of the five courses this year a course in copy editing. I have no plans to go into newspapering but figured copy editing would give me a much needed eye for detail.

Anyway as we talked about all things important to two grown ass men. Family, friends, life after graduation, relationships, friendships, and various roles on campus. I remembered describing people who irked me, worked my last nerves, and who I downright despised. I may have even called a few of them the "b" word.

It's not that I have a hatred for them. I have a strong disdain more for their actions which more often than not I found personally insulting. I have never nor do I use the "b" word lightly. I have a mother, a twin sister, a gazillion aunts, a gazillion female cousins, a gazillion close female friends. As odd as it sounds I'd not expect someone to insult them by calling them the "b" word, yet I'd used it to characterize someone else's daughter, sister, cousin or friend.

Then I read this article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070921

It was one of those eye opening moments.

I'm now going to make a conscious effort to not use the "b" word just as I make a conscious effort not to use the "n" word.