Thursday, January 27, 2022

Words Are More Than Just Text

 

Part of the reason I like to write....... Or maybe, the main reason I like to write is that I truly enjoy the written word. I love combining words in such a way so I can connect with others and make sense. 

I do not like all words equally, what with many of them being beyond the comprehension of many folks like me. I do think all words carry equal weight. Words are either understood or not. 

There is no such thing as a bad word, just the poor usage of them. I should know. I often poorly use words, sometimes on purpose. Half the fun of playing with words is the combinations can be truly creative and awe inspiring. Or they can be nothing more than a moment or two of practice chords in front of my best audience, me.

Sadly, like guns, words in the wrong hands can also kill. Anyone who believes the old children's rhyme, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me"; is living in a fool's paradise. Spoken or written, words have been directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions over the ages. With too many examples in our past, I will only point to the run up to the insurrection of January, 6th to illustrate my point perfectly. Words, written or spoken with evil purpose are the most dangerous weapons humans use on each other. All too often, catastrophic physical violence follows words of evil intent. 

Words are ambivalent and peaceable when just hanging out as an unorganized mob with no plan. They have no power by themselves. When they are manipulated, they can pack more power than the largest bomb. 

Words also have the capability to inspire people to change their world for the better, change their lives for the better, and bring joy that makes the reader's hair stand on end. 

There are so many words to choose from, I will never ever be able to complain about not having a word at hand to fit the special need I might have at the moment. That word may not be present on command, but I know somewhere it lurks waiting for me to yank it from the shadows.

A thoughtful collection of words to me is mental artistry that can inform, convey emotion, dig deep into a soul and tear it apart, or lift it to blissful heights. A pleasing collection of stories, essays, or articles are a visit to someone's personal museum.  Each story another vestibule filled with words that will hopefully leave a reader pleased they entered in the first place.

Which brings me to the point I meant to start off with when I first began writing this post back in 2015. The words I planned to use were lost as soon as I thought of them and probably became nothing but a stream of consciousness love note about words in general. 

And honestly, since I have picked up this unpublished post that has sat gathering dust since 2015, I have no clue what my original point was and at the moment no clue what my future point is going to be. I just want to finish at least one of the 500 posts that languish in the back forty where old unpublished posts go.

Bottom line, I just really like messing around with words.It's not the product so much as it is the production.

Keep it 'tween the ditches ........................................

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Found a very nice tune to go with this post. Never heard of this band, Hawk Wilson or their tune, "Words". But the tune and video treatment seem appropriate. Hope you enjoy it.



7 comments:

The Blog Fodder said...

The power of words are why dictators kill or imprison the poets, novelists, and playwrights first; the journalists next.

Unknown said...

I love your post and you write beautifully and powerfully. If words had little power and impact, people wouldn't be trying so hard to ban books!

MRMacrum said...

Blog Fodder - The independent pen definitely lives on both sides of the sword.

Unknown - Well thank you for the kind words.Yes, words are again under attack for no other purpose than to further a political cause and drive a wedge between us.

amidnightrider said...

I don't have the words to describe how much I enjoyed this post. I just wanted to let you know that I'm still following you since the past post from your bike shop.

peppylady (Dora) said...

I guess I read blogs simple I like to read every day people blue collar person who get there hand dirty. Has down and ups in life.
I like to read there words they put down.
Coffee is on and stay safe

Bohemian said...

I'm glad you dusted this 2015 Post off and pulled it out of the unpublished Blog Post Archives to finish it. I too Love Writing and the Reading of something that someone has Written that I can connect to at some level. I find Blogging to be a Written form I like best, since Books can take so much time and you cannot connect to the Author and form any Relationship like you can in this Community. Words indeed pack Power, either Negative Power or Positive Power... people often underestimate just how much. Others fully understand and use it to their own advantage, for Good or for Evil.

yellowdoggranny said...

what blog fodder said.