"I have hated words, and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right." -The Book Thief
I am a page, and the way I live etches words on to me and creates a story for the world to see. Words have catalyzed and stirred nations into revolution and triumph, and with a single word, the nations have succumbed to nothing. Words have lifted me up, words have brought me down. Words have excited me, congratulated me, thanked me and filled my heart with glee. On the other hand, words have broken me, hurt me, and killed me. Words have inspired ambition while increasing rationality. Words have comforted many for the hope of a better tomorrow. Words do not stand on street corners and beg for pity, words do not fish for compliments or gratitude. They are content in doing their job without recognition from others.
I'm thankful for the words that have shaped me to be the person I am today, both the positive words and the negative words. I'm thankful for the words that were never said, the moment alone fulfilling the need for speech. I'm thankful for the praise and the insults, as they've fostered a sense of resiliency and determination within me.
We live in a world where words are in abundance, yet sincerity is in rations. Words received in carelessness lose their ethos, their credibility. Words captivate and control the human emotions. They anger us, they make us rejoice, they make us cry, and they make us hope. We're constantly judging our happiness based off the words given from someone.
Words not used in the correct way bring wreck, havoc, and disharmony to those whom the words are fired towards. However, one good, edifying word brings joy and hope to those who need it most. The ways words are said reveal the condition of the heart and the status of the circumstance. When used correctly, words have the power to change the world. Words are attached to the soul; they are a member of us. The word goes from the page and infuses into our inmost being.
I am a writer and a lover of words. Addicted to them, you might even conclude. I believe in the power of words, but even more so, I am amazed at the power of those who say them. As Emily Dickinson writes, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine."