Words

The Written word has brought a tear to many an eye, changed the world for the better or worse and influences our daily lives. For some people, words help them escape their physical environment if only for a short while, and can bring hope. Words can be powerful.

It is a shame people allow themselves to be distracted by movies, television, social networks and other activities, rather than send an email, letter, postcard, write a blog post or just have a conversation, without time constraints. It is a shame many people don’t give more thought to their words and time to converse with others.

For some, they don’t know when not to use words. A flippant comment, a cruel remark, which people either forget or despise those shameful actions. Some prefer to be a critic, but don’t have the wisdom to understand sometimes the grammar or spelling doesn’t matter, especially if the passion and effort is clear for all to see. Enjoying and excelling at the use of words, is not an excuse to be a ‘grammar nazi’ or to look down at others.

People often treat words as disposable assets, to be consumed and then discarded, but the most powerful words can engrave themselves into your brain, heart and soul. The postcards from a great-grandfather to a great-grandmother through world war one are moving, and bridged a connection across countries, through uncertain times. The letter an aunt sent to me just two weeks before she passed away, changed me. Being the recipient of the last spoken words of clarity from a grandmother, showed me how truly powerful a sentence can be. Yet also a sentence shared on a social network can bring a smile, give form to a thought, educate and make a difference to someone’s day.

For me words are both business and pleasure. Words are protected from distractions, inspired by commitment, knowledge and passion. I often go months without a break from writing on a daily basis, and I’m not referring to social networks. Also each day regardless of how busy I am, my health or location, I read. You probably won’t find me reading a book from some current top 20 list, but often books from yesterday, especially the 20th and 19th centuries. There is a rich archive of old literature to discover, with styles and content unique to the past. Though on occasion I will dip my toe into 21st century literature.

I love it when I find an author whose writing style and stories enrich my day. I can be miles from home, having a nightmare day and unable to speak to my better half, yet that book can help ground me, capture my imagination, take me elsewhere and bring a much needed distraction, even if just for ten minutes. When I’ve finished a book I have enjoyed, I often yearn for more, often finding it hard to pick up a book written by someone else – a sense of loss and often caught up in thoughts for hours or days of the story or topic I just devoured.

Words can take us on journeys, change our very being, but words are often taken for granted, yet if given more care, attention and yes some love, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

Words can outlast our existence, echo around the world and centuries from now change someone’s life. Sometimes writing is just for us, and helps give form to a thought. Sometimes reading is a personal experience or to be shared, discussed and debated.

Words can be powerful, if you let them.