I wonder if the world could be neatly categorized into three groups.
Those who say...
1. "Oh my God" = soul in peril
2. "Oh my Gosh" = living on the edge
3. "Oh my Goodness" = safely in the fold
Ha. Kidding.
But really, for a while now, my "goodness"es have been feeling like cheap fillers for what was clearly established as a way to take God's name in vain.
I wonder how "Oh my Goodness" came to be. Was it simply a matter of stashing a few extra letters into the original to provide a "safe" alternative that packs the same punch?
I remember long ago in sixth grade, my dorm mom at boarding school addressed this.It left such an impression that I remember evening devotional to this day.
So, I don't know what to do with these thoughts, but for starters, I'm trying to decrease my use of this filler phrase, and give pause to study the feeling I really want to express when it haphazardly pops out of my mouth.
Maybe there is a truly useful mode of expression, not yet discovered, that is waiting to claim its rightful position in the absence of "Oh my Goodness".
Well, I can tell you what not to substitute: My daughters heard me say "Holy cow!" the other night and asked about it. E.m.b.a.r.r.a.s.s.e.d. - !! I admitted that I don't know why I say it and would like to stop, since it's not at all what I mean. They suggested that I just say "Wow!" instead. But sometimes, "wow" feels a little, um, flat. So be sure to let me know what useful expression you unearth - I'll be first in line to use it with you!! :)
ReplyDeleteHa! That's nice of them to offer suggestions! Still haven't thought of anything. Temporarily using "Oh my!"
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