When I was growing up back in the good old days, my parents encouraged all their children to use proper English… and would lovingly correct us if we used a word improperly. I would try very hard often creating my own words which came to be known in our family as “Debbyisms“.

My parents forbid us to curse in the house even considering words like “shut up” unacceptable. It forced all of us to run to our dictionaries (this was before computers) and look up words that would express how we felt without getting us in trouble.

My older brother and I tried talking in pig latin : a jargon that is made by systematic alteration of English (as in ouyay inkstay for you stink ) but our parents were one step ahead of us and knew exactly what we were saying! The end result was…We all grew up to be creative adults and owe it to our Father and Mother …who refused to let us take the easy way out.

When I started writing comedy several years ago, I made a choice to be G Rated. After seeing me perform and critiquing me, a professional comic commended my decision and said that it is harder work to be a G rated comic then an X rated one. I know my parents wouldn’t have expected anything less!