I am a believer in the power of words, the raw, knock you on your ass, change everything power of words. Some words change minds, some words change history.
“I have a dream…”
If loose and sloppy, words can do damage and destroy. I do believe that sticks and stones will break my bones –but words, words can sometimes cause an injury that is much more severe.
Some words are hard to say. They get stuck in our craw, if they even make it that far. They can be easier to say to some people than others.
You hurt me.
Forgive me.
I’m sorry.
I love you.
Those little words. They can change everything. They can make us feel vulnerable. They so concretely say the things our eyes are trying to express. As difficult to they can be to say…those words can also make all the difference. It’s the words that make us feel the most naked that often are the words that draw us closer to others—and them to us. All those words and actions that bare us have a purpose past making us feel awkward.
Why do we sometimes hesitate? It’s very easy to not want to open the can of worms, Pandora’s Box and create other cataclysmic moments. These little words can irreversibly change a situation, ringing a bell that cannot be unrung.
Maybe we all need to shake hands with feeling uncomfortable more often.
We all have the select group of people who have heard you say anything—and I mean anything. Things they may have wished we’d not said. Things that made you throw your arms around each other. Good, bad or difficult—it’s because these people fall under a different classification– the people who will love us no matter what. We’ve already had to be brave with them –we’ve tested limits.
I guess it’s the other classification of people I’m less sure about. There seem to be a group of people that regardless how long I’ve known them I only get to know them so far. It’s as if we never move from the shallow end of the pool.
I like the free feeling I get when my feet can’t touch—even if it has moments of fear attached.
