Words

            NEVER underestimate the power of words!  I don’t think that most people truly realize just HOW powerful words can be.  For a moment consider the words spoken by Abraham Lincoln in November, 1863 that have become known as the Gettysburg Address.  The main speaker at the cemetery dedication was Edward Everett who spoke for more than 2 hours, while Lincoln only spoke for 2 minutes.  How many of Everett’s words can you remember today?  But at one time (and I don’t know if this is true today) every school kid had to learn the Gettysburg Address in history class.  Some even had to learn it if they put on plays for school imitating Lincoln as they spoke those words.  True some will say that it is only because Lincoln became President and thus was propelled into infamy, but that was only part of the reason.

            Consider the words of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Back in the sixties Dr. King spoke on many subjects and at many times concerning his views of segregation.  And many of these speeches were very instrumental in various aspects of the civil rights movement at that time!  Perhaps you remember the powerful “I Have a Dream” speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.  That speech, even today, has had a very powerful motivational effect on many people.

            You can look in other areas and times and places in history and you will discover many verbal comments that have been made by individuals which have been extremely effective on many people.  And these don’t have to be long, winded speeches from political figures.  Sometimes the words can be short, but capable of bringing back fond memories of times past or times of enjoyment from events in our lives.  Consider some movie comments that just by saying the phrases will bring various thoughts to your mind:  “May the force be with you!”, “--- you can’t handle the truth!”, “E.T. phone home”, “All you need is love,” “Love is never having to say you’re sorry,” or “Et tu, Brute?”  You can probably think of many such phrases that have an emotional effects on you whenever you hear them.

            Perhaps you can recall the expression: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.”  That is SO NOT TRUE!  I understand the sticks and stones part, but those injuries will, in time, heal.  But, harmful words can stay in your mind and heart for a long time.  And perhaps, even years later, those words will continue to inflict pain on you.

            I bet that you have met people who I refer to as those with a “limited” vocabulary.  Now this is not because they are impaired in some way as to the number of words they can speak.  But, they have limited themselves because, it appears, that they choose to only use a limited amount of words when they speak.  And they normally limit themselves to a select group of “colorful adjectives” when they do speak.  I’ve hear it said that talking to such people is like participating in a verbal dual with an unarmed opponent!  Some people limit themselves by not appreciating the value (and the power) of availing themselves of a complete vocabulary.  And when we do this for ourselves (increasing the quantity and quality of our vocabulary) we can appreciate the words of the Bee Gees song released in January, 1968:  “It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away.”

            And by using words in so many ways we can express such feelings that really surpass even the individual words themselves.  Let’s consider the expression of words in poetry.  In my past I loved writing poems (and I still do).  I used what I called a standard rhyme style of writing.  See the short verse below.  The thoughts behind the words can go beyond the words themselves.  This relates to the expression that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Star Watcher

I’d love to be a star watcher

Just to see the sight,

Of stars sparkling brilliantly

On a cool summer’s night.

And slowly drifting skyward

And fading out of view.

I’d love to be a star watcher

And gaze the whole night through.

            My niece also writes poetry in free-style.  Here is a sample of her writings.

sadness

has a way of

feeding the

hungry, so

I am not

surprised

by the way

you salivate

toward mine.

--a. sapp--

            What this all means to us is this:  Give careful consideration to the words that you will allow to flow over your tongue and between your lips.  Unfortunately we live in the “real” world and NOT in a comic strip.  There when the words are put into the conversation “bubbles” and we are not “happy” with what is there, we only have to “erase” the conversation bubble and re-write the conversation that satisfies our needs.  When we speak the words of love, of encouragement, or the building up effect or the hate, the discouraging, the tearing-down effect, once these have been put into motion and we cannot “take them back!”, regardless of how many times we ask for forgiveness.  The same is true about our web pages, our tweets, our blogs, when we post various comments on them they are there forever!  Always THINK before you speak or post - - - and then THINK AGAIN!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Having wonderful thoughts of someone today?

Let them know."