Sticks and Stones may break my bonesBut words can never harm me
Does everyone remember those words from that nursery rhyme that we were taught as kids? Its basically a little ditty to make kids not worry about verbal harassment and the like from their peers. No need to get all aggravated over what little Johnny said about your moms cause its just words and words they can't do young Jack or Mary any physical harm so ignore them.
Have all of you discovered the great fallacy of those words yet?
Words can in fact leave far deeper wounds than sticks and stones. Even deeper wounds than bullets and machetes. Wounds that take way longer to heal than those left by physical implements. Not physical wounds for the most part, although dudes have been known to keel over with a heart attack or a stroke from receiving distressing news, but mostly emotional wounds. Serious emotional scarring and intense emotional issues caused just from the use of simple words. Discarded words, words which we might not even remember uttering but which hit someone else like daggers, leaving wounds which might heal but will never be forgotten
What that means in case you haven't figured it out is that words are powerful and dangerous. Very powerful, very dangerous. Forget licensing guns what we need is a word registry to stop unlawful use of words to harm the innocent and not so innocent. If you don't know how to use the words properly you shouldn't be allowed to use them. Especially since some folks cant control the spray of their words (your nine spray, my mind spray) and though they may aim at one person they end up having a machine gun or grenade effect and blasting everyone in the immediate vicinity and even causing further damage down the road as those words get passed on. No precision strike just word Collateral Damage I guess. Everyone gets blown to smithereens.
And have you ever thought about how a few words can so change your entire disposition and outlook? Say one of you young ladies wakes up in a bad mood, gets ready for work, still feeling vex and moody and suddenly on your way down the street some nice looking guy (cause if is an ugly fella ya will ignore him) looks at you and out of the blue says something like 'miss you are looking mighty fine today' or a simple 'I like your style.' Just walks by and says something to that effect. No stop and try to lay down any more lyrics/sweet talk to try to pick you up, just a few words and then he's gone. Those few little words will pick you up and cause you to smile and before long you are head high, feeling nice walking down the street. Those words might even keep you happy for the whole day.
Alternatively you can wake up in the best of moods and someone throws an offhand remark your way like a ginsu knife. It strikes with better precision than a laser guided missile and in an instant your sunny disposition has been blown to bits, sun turned to a gloomy overcast outlook which clouds your entire day. You go from a feeling of being above the clouds to being 6 feet deep with the gravediggers throwing dirt in your face all within an instant. All because of what?......A few simple words.
Simple uncomplex arrangements of letters in a grouping which sound a certain way or looks a certain way on paper and have a specific meaning. Words, formed from the most basic of building blocks; letters so harmless, so uncomplicated (well except for that whole capital Q thing cause let me tell ya that's one disturbing letter. Looks like a genetically mutated O or something. What am I the only one who thinks that? Oh ok, umm forget I mentioned that. la la la nothing to see here) to look at yet so filled with the possibility of causing damage when arranged into those combinations called words. Those words that can be so caustic or acidic or emotionally scarring all formed by these simple, innocent A, B, C's (and disturbing Q's). Aint that funny?
Mind you I'm not innocent here myself. Sometimes like Mobb Deep said I got to adopt a mentality where its like 'I'm goin out blastin, takin my enemies with me, and if not, they scarred, so they will never forget me '. And sometimes in that crossfire the 'innocent' and not so innocent well as O.C said 'when the missile is aimed to blow you out of the frame, some will lose their limbs and some will be maimed' but hey that's life and
A so it go!
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? Respect the words. Think about the words. We use them everyday to communicate. They are such a major part of our lives so important to our lives, so integral to our interactions. We use them with such frequency that we don't really consider their worth, their sharpness, their power to affect others, their power to affect life.
Word ....Life!
13 comments:
I hear ya... except for your thing on the capital Q thing.
I don't get it.
word up.
Too true.
The power of life and death is in the tongue. Once we realize that, we can use it to speak new beginnings, peace and joy into our lives and the lives of others instead of suffering.
Yes, that little ditty didn't work when I was saying it in grade school and it doesn't work now. We now know, or should know, that words plant deep seeds.
Back in the days two simple words were sure to set off a fight:
"your MAMA!"
Look out, guns shot a fly!
Laffing at Brooklyn Babe. How true. I actually thought that the strength in some words is only allowed by the amount of strength we so give them. That's not to say that they cannot hurt, but some words shouldn't carry the strength that some individuals put on them.
There are times where the old sticks and stones dittee actually rings true. Then again, lets say that racist connotation that some of us like to throw around so easily as a term of endearment. We all know when its someone outside our race that says that word, dawwwg! It's on. Still strength in them. That power's not going anywhere. Be mindful of its use. Nice job J.
I have a saying, "Curses, eye contact, and punctuation should be used like bullets." Most people have Uzi's though...and poor aim.
As a parent, I see/hear what words can do. Everyday I hear what children are saying and the tone in which they say things. I am amazed at what kids are saying. When a 4 year old repeats in a man's voice" Stop looking at me or I'll punch you in the face", it makes me think or the power in those words. Power beyond what a 4 year old (or any age) should ever feel..
Never have I been more conscious of my choice in vocabulary. Words of love & peace need to be a priority in all our lives.
Words.---It's not what you say but how you say it. What a cool post. I often have to be reminded of the words that come from my mouth because they can cut worse than a ginzu knife at times, especially when I'm full of anger.
PS--what's up with the word verification at the bottoms of coments.
I preferred to be hit as a child than being called names because I tended to believe everything that was said.
PS.Word verification and blind people don't work well.I keep having to do them two or three times!
Yeah a physical dispute can be settled quick, but words are the artillery that carry on the war. That's why it's so dangerous to randomly spit on negative comments because someone may respond in a method you are not quite ready for.
Yo had to squint to see what you had to say about those mutant QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ's.
You can consider that army of them above my revenge.
Very true your words. We are affected and bound by them in so ways.
@Dr D - quite true
@Soli - it was joke man a joke
@summer - word
@echo - thanks , i agree
@chele - whoa that was deep
@princess d - yep
@brooklyn babe - you got that right. big rocks wud fly
@luke - good points man
@amadeo - I like that saying
@natty - words can be devastating. 4 year olds shouldnt be like that
@camp - its to stop some of this blog spam
@abeni - i din prefer to be hit though, call me whatever you want, hit me and its on! good memories. hmmm i might have to write that post sometime
@sonyared - yea its fun if its jokes but if its serious....
@big N - the bullet man, the bullet, i'd be too pissed to be emotionally hurt lol
@KG - true that
@Shotta - lol, damn evil Qs lol.
@4panist - true that
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