Words on a Page

Words have a powerful effect on people. It doesn’t really matter what kind of person you are either. Words don’t really care. If you think about it, it’s weird that the deliverance of the same string of syllables in a row can crush a persons soul, or make them feel on top of the world. To be completely honest, I have no idea what to make of that. We can be careful with our words all we want, but is that any way to live? Harboring our thoughts like if they escape they might ruin everything our unspoken characteristics have built for us. What we look like, how we carry ourselves, what our friends say about us, all of these things can be completely dismissed with a simple sentence. They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but wouldn’t it be scarier if they judged what’s on the inside? The unspoken judgements that reign over every person we meet, or the sneaking feeling that you have an emotion too big to keep inside you. The term “word vomit” could not be a more accurate representation of the splurging of emotions that come out in what seems to be a prison break of our deepest thoughts. The beauty about words though are that, when uninterrupted, can give an uprising it’s hope, tear down an empire, or simply say hello. Can you think of anything else with that kind of versatility? I can’t. Sure, it depends on the delivery, the background, the heat of the moment or lack thereof, but the words themselves are what give the message. I think the most detrimental thing to do to someone is take away their words, to take away the right to speak their mind, to silence them as if your words are more important. Like I said, words don’t really care who you are. Whether you're the greatest writer in the world or just a college student trying to get her thoughts out for fear of yet another anxiety attack, words are there to help you out. I guess we just have to use them. Whether or not your proud of the words you use is a different case entirely. I could tell you to be kind and to think before you speak, but would you listen? Would you really think “Oh maybe that wouldn’t be a good thing to say right now…” You might, you might not, if you're like me it depends on your mood. The unfortunate case of being a loudmouth can be a detrimental one, but then again so can being shy and quiet. In the end, maybe it’s about finding a balance between the two, and recognizing the power of the words you have, cause like I said the words don’t care and they’re sure as hell not going to stop you from sounding like an idiot. Words can be spoken, but never taken back; once you say them, they’re out there forever for people to remember (and remind you of). So I guess I will say to be careful, to be kind, and to think before you speak or type, because sometimes they’re more than just words on a page.