Words and language

Words and language-the way of life The essence of language and the wheels of communication; ‘words are a mystery” it is said, yet everyone understands them one way or the other. Simple, yet profound. The thought of an utter absence of language is beyond my grasp. Life, as it is would almost be a nightmare if not extinct without it. Even animals have a language, one a little lower than ours. All of life’s greatest strides, beneficial or detrimental, are woven around language; communication. Miscommunication may, as well, occur but that too requires language. Body language also exists, but it falls below par in comparison to that pertaining to speech; the spoken word. Many words have gone unuttered that would have wrought great good or disaster, and the opposite is true. That is the power of words. It is true that actions do speak louder than words, but words still retain the mastery of communication, in whatever form they exist. Words are a part of everyday life. In most cases, they are used unconsciously or rather without much thought. They ooze from one’s mouth as a breath .but unlike a breath that ebbs away into nothingness, with no further apparent use or effect, words have a way of sticking around even after being freed from the lips.

Language has been around since man’s inception. This too is true of words. In Christian annals or more accurately, the Holy Scriptures, man’s first recorded words are captured in the book of Genesis (literary meaning beginning). They capture the feeling of the moment with great awe. Imagination may grant me a sneak pic into the past and I can almost see the escape of every word from the lips, with expression that no other means of communication may possibly give, ‘flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone…’ A phrase worth reechoing.

Each word may have its own innate meaning, yet with great wits, one may bring to life quite a number of meanings to a single word. For example, the phrase ‘do not cross the line’ could literary mean one should not cross an actual tangible line or that one should not exceed a given limit depending on the occasion. The flexibility with the use of words grants us an almost infinite array of ways to express ourselves. Two persons may say the same statement, yet the pathos with which it is uttered may greatly differ.

Many orators have had many a following and even modern charismatic figures implore the use of words to gather to themselves the same. Men of great renown have come and gone, yet that which they uttered, whether under the influence of inspiration, divine interposition or simply a mere expression of thought, has stood the taste of time. Words spoken in days long gone still linger on in people’s minds. They are enshrined in a people living today and still have, to a greater or lesser degree, the same effect as when first spoken. ‘..Every man must do his own believing and his own dying....’ (Martin Luther), ‘I have a dream....’ (Martin L. King), ‘Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God’ (W. Carrey) and many more, are words that have had great impact on many lives.

Words are used with great artifice to win the favor of multitudes, and many have ascended to positions of honor and/or authority from thus. Often, one’s erudition is measured in line with his/her ability to use words with great articulation. However, whether or not that represents a true measure of erudition is debatable.

Sitting quietly and trying to digest every word that fell from a presenter at a church service, I heard a statement that went something like,"…don't let the urgent things of life crowd out the important things in life..." I felt some chills through my 'bones'. For a while, it seemed to be the only thing I could hear, all other sounds were hushed; more like an epiphany. Inspiration need not come from grand moments. There is a story in every blooming flower, a lesson from the sprouting seeds; from a mother's kiss on the cheek; from every dawn and twilight. Nature speaks volumes, though we seldom stop to listen. Moments that bring bundles of joy must be cherished. They oft teem with inspiration. It is often unnoticed words that make the world go round, words spoken by the common man; words spoken with no false allurement; words simply spoken out of care for others. They include a myriad of things like, ‘Are you alright?’, ‘How are you?’, ‘I love you’. Too often, they are considered too common to have place in important matters of life that often carry phrases as ‘How did we fare?’ ‘How much has been earned?’ ‘What time is the meeting?’ However they are used, words are a mystery. They invoke joy and laughter, pain and sorrow, awe and amusement, or displeasure and disgust and the train is endless. Yet suffice to say ‘’words make the world go round.’’