I'm Gonna Miss Stupid...

"Stupid is as stupid does." - Forrest Gump

stu-pid adj. 1. In a stupor; stupefied. 2. Slow to apprehend; dull; obtuse. 3. Showing a lack of sense or intelligence. 4. Uninteresting; trite or dull. -n Informal. A stupid person. - The American Heritage Dictionary

When exactly did "stupid" become the latest in a long list of words we can no longer use? Certainly, some words should have gone away long before they did...the "n-word", "colored", "retarded"(oh, I miss "retarded"), "faggot", etc....but "stupid"? What was the cataclysmic event that happened to cause all the hatred toward "stupid"? These other words indeed are derogatory toward certain groups of people that refer to something that they can't change about themselves...color, sexual orientation, mental handicaps....but, really..."stupid'? Honey...that's a whole other group of people altogether!

If nothing happens because of stupidity then we have to find a "real reason" behind doing stupid things. Everything has to have a meaning, an excuse, a cause and effect... I hate to break it to you....but sometimes "stupid" IS the reason.

"Johnny broke his arm because he tried to skateboard off the roof into the swimming pool."
"Why in the world would he do a thing like that?"
"Because....he's stu-....wait....because he was acting out against tyranny and oppression, the stress of eighth grade math, the-the-the destruction of the rain forests, arctic ice caps are melting, um...Daddy doesn't hug him enough, uh.....uh....and did you know that jellyfish are taking over the oceans?!!!"

Exhausting. Geez, wouldn't it be easier to just go straight to "stupid"?

And in case you haven't seen this, nothing gets a Mom up in arms like one kid calling another "stupid". Recently I witnessed the following:

"Dude...that was so stupid!"
"Johnny...you know we don't use THAT word in OUR house!"
"But, Mom...."
"Absolutely NOT, Johnny........"

Okay, now wait a minute. Wasn't that same little brat just screaming at his mom to buy him a "new frickin' Nintendo" five minutes ago? "Frickin'"....and "stupid" was the thing that put her over the edge.

Isn't it so funny that we get all caught up in the new Mom rules of the day that we forget common sense. So busy trying to measure up the new PC standards that we can't even see the stupid forest for the stupid trees?

"Stupid" is a great word. It's useful, succinct, and, usually, pretty accurate. I'm holding on to you "stupid"! I'll fight the "stupid" fight!!!