WORDS. A REFLECTION

     Words. A compilation of letters, in turn another compilation, this time of shapes and implied sounds. They can be as small as one letter to those of massive length. They can open the world or shut it down, create a future or take it away.
     Five small words, four small words can change an outlook. It can take away a planned future which seemingly has no expiration date, to one where there was one, unknown but definitely implied. On the other hand it can open a new panorama for a future.. Will you marry me? You have ..... The power of words and the images they create are unstoppable.
     I have always wondered if we were assigned a specific number of words at birth and what would happen if we reached our limit. A good story line for some sci-fi show, but we really do need to watch our words and encourage a much better system and use of them.
     Today the world of words is a world of war, waged with cruel syllables, nasty ones of bullying, harsh and insulting ones and rarely does one hear words of reconciliation, of peace, of sympathy. Despair replaces hope and the lexicon changes but we gain nothing and lose so much. 
     The Beatles sang some songs of peace, but it never came. Yoko Ono places a full page ad in the NY Times on the anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon, asking for us to "give peace a chance" but we simply ignore it. Just as the world ignores the huge store of Israeli songs asking, begging for peace, of the songs for peace coming from its liturgy. Instead it uses lying words to accuse Israel of warmongering, the words of the twisting of truth. The war of words with North Korea can explode in a war from which there is no return.
     Words can lie. They can cut. They can break a person as cruelly as one who breaks bones and the effect can be longer lasting and more deeply felt. They can be as incisive and cutting as a blow to the heart with a physical weapon.Why is that? Why are we so insistent on using our words to hurt and dominate?
     What is among the worst misuse of words today is that of Trump. He cannot recognize a word of truth. He chooses not to. He conducts his business with words of insult and cruelty. He uses his words to harm rather than benefit. He most assuredly uses words so badly, so negatively, that we have no recourse but to think him as mentally ill or worse, purposely harmful and then we wonder what his goals truly are.
     Worse than that is the model he plays for those who also wish to lie and cheat. We have Nunes, Sessions, the alt right who are now empowered by Trump, people refusing to testify as to their part in collusion with Russia and then their master screeches of patriotism? For which country, even as he praise the Penguins as patriots - the team with more than a dozen aliens, you know, those creatures that Trump usually disparages. Hypocrisy reigns.
     So Trump roars and tweets in a blatant display of boorish behavior, of lying behavior, of behavior that should not be tolerated, certainly not in a supposed adult and the words of those who should deplore this are sadly missing.
     I have had it with words this week, be they of private content or those of a world figure. I want to hear the words that elicit the perfume of flowers, the kindness and empathy of one for another, the words of love that can light up the world, the words of kindness and kinship, the words that would never allow man to attack woman and justify it. Where are those words?
     Words and their usage began this world. Words have brought it to its figurative knees many time. And words have now brought us on the map to the point where the earth falls away and the map is outlined with the words "Here Be Monsters". But actually, the monsters are already here; we do not need to go sailing off to find them. We can join these monsters or we can defy them. The choice is through our words.
     I write from the heart here. I write in the hope that perhaps we can find better use for our words, make better choices and defeat those monsters.
     Word.

In the spirit of this posting and this blog site, please join with many at the Clubhouse in the party room on October 19, 7-9 where a vigil for peace will be held, for anti hate, against the words of Richard Spencer who will be speaking at the University in Gainsville. It matters not your affiliation or views on a politician. All that counts is that you oppose hatred and words of hate. Come, let us join together and use our words to bring about a better world.