Words don't come easy
"They're just words."
I honestly cannot think of any phrase more demeaning or erroneous than that. Except, maybe, if Custer had uttered, "They're just Indians," at Little Bighorn. Unfortunately, unlike Custer who was proven wrong in hours, this particular misconception has not only lasted, but even flourished, especially in recent years.
Blame it on everyone from the fast food generation who want everything quick (why waste time reading when you can just look at a picture?) to the Disney babies who learn their fairytales from oversimplified cartoons rather than Goose and Grimm.
Or we can blame ourselves.
How often have we forgone doing a smart, effective ad in favour of one that just looks good? Or substituted poignant words for senseless visuals in the misguided belief that they sell better?
Have we truly forgotten the power of words and what they can do to the soul? After all, where else is the old axiom of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts truer than here?
Alone, they are mere letters, filled with potential but lacking meaning or significance. Put together properly, they can be a powerful statement that draws out the best and worst in humanity.
Fear.
"I'm sorry. It's inoperable."
Forgiveness.
"I love you. Please give me another chance."
Distrust.
"It's because of them that we're losing our jobs."
Resolve.
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..."
Just words, indeed.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I honestly cannot think of any phrase more demeaning or erroneous than that. Except, maybe, if Custer had uttered, "They're just Indians," at Little Bighorn. Unfortunately, unlike Custer who was proven wrong in hours, this particular misconception has not only lasted, but even flourished, especially in recent years.
Blame it on everyone from the fast food generation who want everything quick (why waste time reading when you can just look at a picture?) to the Disney babies who learn their fairytales from oversimplified cartoons rather than Goose and Grimm.
Or we can blame ourselves.
How often have we forgone doing a smart, effective ad in favour of one that just looks good? Or substituted poignant words for senseless visuals in the misguided belief that they sell better?
Have we truly forgotten the power of words and what they can do to the soul? After all, where else is the old axiom of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts truer than here?
Alone, they are mere letters, filled with potential but lacking meaning or significance. Put together properly, they can be a powerful statement that draws out the best and worst in humanity.
Fear.
"I'm sorry. It's inoperable."
Forgiveness.
"I love you. Please give me another chance."
Distrust.
"It's because of them that we're losing our jobs."
Resolve.
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..."
Just words, indeed.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
