I cuss. I’m not proud of it, but the truth is, at this stage of my life, it is part of me. I know I can refrain, I don’t cuss at church, well, not much, or where you can hear me, most of the time. I can repent of it all together. I’ve changed many such bad habits, but I am so very good at cussing.

I can remember deciding to cuss. I was in the fifth grade. Up to that point, the dirty words horrified me. I had toyed with cussing, but it always came out awkward and sounding dumb. I decided to work on it. It is more difficult than you think to cuss and make it sound right. It’s a skill.

I worked hard at cussing, and in the eighth grade, I was getting into trouble on a regular basis because of its indiscriminate use. I was making progress, but something was not right.

I realized that just saying the words had no impact. They had to be in context, and at the proper time. I did advanced cuss training in the Marine Corps, but I did not master the skill until I realized, one day in the barracks listening to a conversation between three fellow Marines, that cussin’ could be overused, and when it was, it lost its effectiveness.

It is an art, a convenient skill. It requires some discretion, but it can be an effective weapon, if used properly. Most men and, I am sad to say, an increasing number of women, do not understand this. They consider it an obligation, as did I, to start cussing as soon as they get away from their mamas.

A well-placed curse can punctuate and enforce a point. In the normal stream of conversation, or in a meeting, a well-timed expletive can have a wonderful impact, as an improperly used one can destroy the same.

This is not to excuse myself for this flaw. I am just at the point that I recognize it for what it is; a weakness in my communicative skills. I am willing to change my ways.

A couple of months back, McKay Hatch, a young man from California was in Mobile. He is the 14-year-old founder of the NCC, the No Cussing Club, and movement. It has taken great courage on his part to stand up in his school and challenge his classmates to accept the challenge to eliminate cussing. The movement has grown, and is now nationwide.

His dedication to the cause of eliminating my skill has not come without cost. His life and those of his family are threatened and there are attacks on their home. He has a website for his No Cussing Club, and you can join free, and take the pledge to stop cussing.

The Princesses did, and they have adhered to it. At least I haven’t heard them, but then they, like their father before them, may be learning when to cuss. I hope not. It is a terrible way to express yourself.

There are so many wonderful, poignant, and powerful words to use in the place of a cuss word. I guess it’s time for me to take the pledge. I wrote this entire column without using one cuss word. At least not that you heard. I’ll work on it if you will.

David Wilson Atwood is a local writer whose human interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be contacted, and his other works viewed at www.starchasers.us, or david@starchasers.us.