There was a myth about a group of villagers who lived in the Solomon Islands. It was said that whenever they needed to cut down a tree that was simply too large to be destroyed by axes, they would gather special woodsmen who would scream at it and curse it for a period of thirty days. Then, at the end of those thirty days, as if its life force was sucked out of its very branches, the tree would wither and die. This method apparently never failed to be successful.
We have learned to give our thoughts and emotions a life through the words we use. We are the only living things that can use words to communicate. Strangely enough, words are the most difficult way in which to communicate. This is simply because words have the bizarre power that ensures that whenever you say something, you can never truly trust that the words alone could carry your thoughts. Context, tone and a plethora of other factors affect that gap between what you say and what you convey.
So, it becomes quite easy for words to be twisted into lies or shaped into weapons. They can also be used to do good things in a powerful way. Regardless of how they are used, the mark they leave behind on our minds is quite significant. There are millions of people we remember solely by the things they have said during their lifetimes. There are words and phrases that have changed the fundamental essence of who we are. There are even words we remember without knowing who said them in the first place.
For young people, words become quite important in guiding them through the process of growth. What many tend to forget is that at this period in their lives, words tend to have a much bigger effect than usual. What they hear from their peers, their teachers and their family can determine whether they thrive or if they wither. Proper verbal communication is the gateway to a young person’s emotional development. It is true that words are difficult to use. However, there is a profound beauty that accompanies mankind’s unique ability to speak. Words can be used detrimentally, but they can also make an average person into someone with great insight and intelligence.
Carl Sandburg, a poet, once said “Be careful of your words. Once they have been said, they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.” Young minds are impressionable, and the things we choose to say to each other, even in the most heated moments, can have an effect that far outlasts those moments.
Perhaps, the key in our pursuit of a future generation that is capable of being and doing more, is simply minding what we say and teaching our young people to do the same. Not only must we show them to be careful about the things they say, but we must also show them that sometimes, not saying anything at all can be just as harmful. Expressing our thoughts and emotions, correcting or congratulating whenever it is deserved, and saying please and thank you are all things which make our world a place that is a little brighter and a little more magnificent every day. The price of our words is quite high. It is so high that we should not be using words without first thinking about what they will change in the person who hears them.
Renika Anand is currently a student at Marian Academy.
