writer, thinker, info junkie............

 

The written word fascinates me, the spoken word more so.

We write many things in our life time from the first time we write our name in shaky uneven letters, joining the dots to create the shape, to learning how to sign our name in the best handwritten way, to declaring our love in letters and breaking hearts in goodbye notes.

We write essays and exam papers, reports with long complicated words that we often don’t really understand.  The final act is writing our Last Will and Testament to leave our goods and chattel behind.

But we learn to talk before we can write, ‘mummy or daddy’ brings delight to our parents. We ask for simple things, a drink and a sweet.  Before long we are demanding attention, saying I want.  We yell and scream, we whisper, we sing, but how often do we sit in silence, with a blank piece of paper

Which is best, the written word or the spoken word.

They say a word spoken can’t be undone, but is that true?

Surely a written word can’t be undone or erased either.

Four things that you can never get back… the spoken word… your past life… wasted time… a neglected opportunity………… but what of the written word, can you get that back.

Think about this…. You send a text message, email or letter…. You know it was wrong, that it would upset and hurt someone. Can you then simply say ‘Sorry’ and take it back….

You can never get back the words you have spoken.  It is possible to “undo” some of the things you have done, by saying that word sorry - but you can never “unsay” the things you have said. 

Are spoken words more powerful, or it the written word just as potent?

Angry words are destructive, and untrue words so demoralising.  Kind and encouraging words such a healing comforting force.

When we talk are we not writing what we are saying on the hearts of the listener?  And once written, our words can never be erased.