Words

I'm a reader. I love a good book. I freely admit that I haven't spent as much time reading lately as I would have in the past. The "good books" don't seem to pop up quite as often as they used to. My tastes have changed, my experiences have altered my outlook on certain things, and life in general has altered itself in little ways that conspire to shift the way I look at the world, watch a movie, read a book.

What is it about books anyway? Could there be any more archaic form of entertainment than this? Why, after thousands of years of recorded history and technological advances that would seem like pure magic to our ancient ancestors, is "writing" still a primary means of learning or entertaining ourselves? What is it about these little non-sense characters on a page or on a screen? How can they convey so much meaning?

If you think about it, "words" aren't real. They're just stand-ins. They are symbols that somehow represent to us the object or person or event that we want to describe, but in and of themselves they mean nothing.

And yet, they mean EVERYTHING.

Have you ever seen a fist fight break out over something someone said? Ever heard of some major faux pas of diplomacy that revolved around the misuse of a word? Have you ever noticed that "taggers" and graffiti artists emblazon words on street signs, buildings, bus seats and anything else they can find? Why? The words... the string of characters that we look at and interpret for meaning... have no real meaning in and of themselves. A squiggle of lines that would be completely useless in any other situation -- and yet they can sometimes make the difference in a tense situation, even the difference of life or death.

I had a discussion recently with someone I care about. It was all about words, but it wasn't JUST words. It was "tone," "delivery," "style." The tone of your voice, the way you say something, can change the meaning of words. Some fairly innocuous can become stinging acid if the right delivery is used. Words can become a weapon, meant to hurt some - to cut them deeply.

And words can heal. A kind word to a stranger who is having a bad day. An apology to a lover or spouse who feels wronged. A condolence to a friend who has lost a parent. An ownership of responsibility by a child who has stolen something. These words heal - they mend what was broken. Or at the very least, they are a start.

But words, again, are meaningless. The meaning BEHIND the words is what matters. The intentions of the speaker, the ideas that he or she wish to convey, are more important than the words they use.

Words are symbols, but the meaning of the symbols are not static. They're dynamic, ever-changing. Think of when you and your friends share an "in joke." The words can be spoken to anyone, but the meaning is known by only a few.

What a world we'd live in, if all of our words meant the same thing to everyone! But they don't, and so in the end our words, most faithful of the forms of communication, fail us. Sometimes there's nothing that can be put into words. Feelings are too strong, emotions run too deep, and people are... people. Whether we realize it or not, every single one of us speaks a completely different language. They just sometimes sound alike, sometimes have similar meanings.

I like words. Obviously. I use a lot of them. But words are a power, and with great power comes great responsibility. If it's true for Spider-man, it's certainly true for me and you. I think that the great responsibility of words is that we use them to change the world around us. After all, the whole of the universe was brought into being with a word, right? Well... we Christians believe so. But if that's not a good example for you, come up with some of your own.

Take some time to choose your words carefully. Not because you're afraid to hurt someone or feel you may insult someone. Choose your words carefully because every word should be given more than just a cursory meaning. Every word should be so laden with meaning that it can't be held by one person. Every words should be so heavy that it has to be shared by many, the burden spread around so that now there's a community under it, behind it, within it. Every word should be a massive undertaking that requires the effort of every human being to support it.

Maybe, when we reach that space in which each word has been carefully considered and spoken only when it was just right, we'll get beyond words like "war," or "hate" or "prejudice." Or maybe we'll take those words and give them new meanings. They are, after all, meaningless words. They only exist when we define them.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor of ViewOnline magazine and you may reach him by e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com. He holds a Masters degree and several undergraduate degrees in English, Communication and Education, among other subjects. He thinks words like "irony" are profound.

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