Taboo

  Lately the topic of screaming seems to be on my mind. I was at work the other day, and we could hear some girl screaming for ages outside the shop. We all got very annoyed about it, attention seeking nonsense. And that's when I thought about screaming.

  It seems to me, that screaming should be something one only uses when they are in trouble. Think about it; when you hear someone scream or jokingly yell 'Help!' how often do you wonder if you should go and see to the caller? Screaming has become something we expect of young girls being tickled by boys or a way of gaining attention. Which is not good, I think. If anyone were truly in danger now, what could they do?

  You could argue that of course most killers or kidnappers probably wouldn't leave time for a scream, but still the argument remains. It's the same with swearing - it should be kept as a naughty selection of words, exclaimed on the influence of pain - but no longer. It became a cool way of showing that you don't follow modern etiquette, a way of gaining respect or fear. Now they mean nothing, so what's next?

  Swearing should be kept for special occasions, and screaming should be kept for emergencies. That's how I feel. It's the same with car alarms, they mean nothing now. When was the last time someone heard their car alarm and did more than lean back and look through the curtain to check it's just a technical fault- maybe someone accidentally touched the car. Nothing means anything anymore. Tut tut. I sound like an old woman...