Everyone uses them, but not everyone knows how. We all take them for granted, yet many would give their very lives just to have them. These intangible offerings can work miracles, heal
wounded, and set hearts afire. They can also destroy, mutilate, and wreak havoc that no one can undue.What can have such power over people and situations, yet cannot be totally controlled or contained? WORDS -
Words are at disposable of anyone who wishes to use them. There are no restrictions, guidelines, or penalties for misuse, no stated rules or punishments for wrongful use. They are tiny and one-syllable long or they can be complicated and unknown to many. Words are so powerful that people fear them, while others long to hear them.
A writer uses words as tools of his trade. With careful manipulation, they can delight readers with stories, anecdotes, and passages that will transgress time. If not used correctly, they will give misinformation, misdirection, and confusion. Vocabulary can hasten a heartbeat or cause it to halt and die. They bring smiles to children, thrills to lovers, and soothe a fevered brow. Without effort, they can cut right to heart, invade soul, and mind, linger, cause pain, and sometimes destroy a person from inside.
Words should never be taken lightly. Children use gibberish to test water of language. As they get older, they begin to sense power they hold in a simple “No.” Older children will begin to use them to get what they want or manipulate others to a certain conclusion. Adults use them constantly, yet many do not take responsibility for what they do. Generations make note of them and destiny quotes them.
Speech is one of finer points of being human. It is what separates us from animal world. Yet many of us would benefit by being speechless and at a loss for words in certain situations. Words are a marvelous way to touch someone else, share knowledge, lift spirits, turn lives around, and make world a better place to live. If used with responsibility they deserve and demand, our own lives and those of everyone else can be enriched and empowered. There is always a downside. If spoken carelessly, impact they create may never be evident at moment they are used. But that is power they are endowed with. Maybe not same day, same month, or even same year, words will come back in delightful memories or rekindle pain and hurt. Once spoken, they cannot be made to disappear. They are there in world and you have given up all claim to them. If they are “good” they will make you proud and bring you rewards untold, but if they were “less than good” they may haunt you, embarrass you, and cause you sorrow.
