Actions Say More Than Words, But Do Words Live Longer?

"A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day. "
                                              -Emily Dickinson

 photo credit: http://www.squidoo.com/squidwho/hq

Sorry I couldn't get a picture with the quote guys! But I love Emily Dickinson as an author, so I figured I'd at least let you get a look at the woman behind the words!

So this week's quote is about words.  Ms. Dickinson says that even though most people believe that words will die after they are spoken, she believes that they will live throughout the day.  Interesting, isn't it? Giving something like words the breath of life in this sense, making it seem more human? Well maybe she was referring to the humanity of that very concept; the concept that word will live on through the day in all of us.

I've always been an advocate of not talking about people and keeping my mouth shut when it comes to things I'm not experienced in, things that are not my business.  When I think of this quote, my mind immediately goes to the bad. (pessimistic, I know!)  I remember my four years of high school, and how it was so painfully small that if one person had a rumor of any kind leak, the entire school would know by second period (we only had 8 periods a day, and it started with 1st, Homeroom, and then 2nd.) If you were truly unlucky, everyone would know by the end of 1st period.  And it's not like the rumors didn't stick with you, either.  They generally followed you throughout your entire four years, even teachers knew about you by the time they taught you senior year.

I'm sure it was like that at many of your high schools, especially in our lovely, technologically updated world, where your business is made public to the world through social networking and text messages!  Maybe I'm just a little pessimistic about this subject.

If you really want to get technical, you can say that Emily Dickinson was completely 100% correct considering she said these words ages ago and here I am, today, in 2011, talking about them!

But not all words are bad.  Compliments can last a lifetime as well, though many people don't see it that way.  For instance, when someone simply thanks me for opening a door for them and holding it, it lasts with me all day and continues to make me smile.  The words live on in us and by the way we spread them to others. Another example: I try to bring the wise words of many people either present or long gone to all of you through this blog.  My only wish is that people would use this gift in the proper way, to spread words of kindness and good rather than to cause drama. I mean seriously, how often do you hear about good deeds on the news?

If I have learned anything in almost twenty years of living, it's that words go a long way. They can change lives or they can destroy them. And they have higher longevity than people do.