What's in a word? I have always loved words. I love to read and educate myself through words. I believe that words have an undeniable power. The fact that people can use words either to help or hurt another person shows the power of words. Words can be used to comfort someone or to spread hate. Sometimes a word hits harder than any fist could. I have been told, by more than one person, that I am serious. When I initially heard the word it made me upset because I know the meaning of the word and I wondered why anyone would say that I was serious. I think I'm mature but serious, I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. I think I can be reserved but being serious just wouldn't register for me. I have realized that maybe I am a little serious but initially, I must admit, I was upset. I think I understood that serious is not just a word to me, it is what people think about me. That's how powerful words are and can be.
As I listen to the news, read twitter and facebook posts, I know the power of words all too well. There have been barrage of words aimed at the President since he first started his campaign for office. He has been called words that no other president has ever had to endure but black people have been hearing our entire lives. That fact alone proves the power in words. Word are lasting. They can shift the way you view others and yourself. Words can end relationships and begin alliances. Words can tear families apart and destroy marriages. I love words so much that I rarely use what they call "text talk". I just like saying and spelling the word in it's entirety. I have such a fascination with words that if I see a word I don't know, I will actually look it up in a dictionary and try to use it in a sentence. I think the relationship I have with words have been because of several great teachers I had beginning in Headstart.
The power of words transcend to every human emotion. I have to say certain words that I have used in the past I no longer use. I have a passion for words and to use words that have a deep history with hate, I have no reason to use. With that being said, I do not use that word that begins with the letter N and carries an extreme history of hate to describe or converse with anyone. I would like to say that no matter how you use it or when and with whom you use that word carries too much hate to ignore. I have used the word in the past but after listening to testimonies from black people who have been deeply affected by the word, I made a very conscious and easy decision never to use the word again. I have to confess...when I hear the word it upsets me. I think the new generation of people have decided to ignore the power behind that word. It doesn't matter what you say about taking power over a word with such hate, it does not negate the fact where the word was born. It was born out of hate and changing the spelling does not transfer the power. It has to be said that when black people use the word in the presence of people of a different race, especially white people, not only do you disrespect your ancestors but you release the power you THINK you have over the word. The discussion could be long and have many different points of views but, for me, I can find plenty of other words to use without even thinking about using that one.
I do think that the connotation in which a word is used plays a major role in any conversation. We are all different people so there is always a possibility that we will interpret words differently. You have to be willing to listen and hear what someone is saying. We need to understand that they way speak words are direct reflection of who we are. I hate it when someone says, "you're talking white" or "you're talking black". There is absolutely no such thing as talking a certain race. The way you use words can have an effect on the way people treat you. I like the fact that I can use my words the same way with any person I speak to. I like the fact that I don't have to use elaborate words to prove anything to anyone. But don't think because I don't use the words all the time, that I have no idea what they mean...I'm just saying!! I challenge everyone just to simply think about what words you choose to use before you speak them.
What's in a word? POWER
I Speak Thoughts
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