Just a Word!

The other night my daughter and I were having a spirited dialogue after the results of American Idol were announced. As Alex was pleading her contempt with the public over Haley's dismissal, I was giggling over my sweet daughter's unusual sense of vigor. But then it got ugly.

"I don't give an F anymore, Mom."

No, she didn't actually say the f-word. But I stopped the conversation and said, "Cut it right now. I don't like that attitude. It's only a show."

Isn't she lovely?

Later, when I told my husband about our daughter's little outburst, he basically shrugged and said, "So? It's just a word."

Just a word! Well, we had a quite a conversation...about that word. But I don't want to talk about that conversation (because it was all about the f-word). I'd rather talk about the power of ALL words.

Words have the power to uplift, shame, enlighten, humble, rescue, demoralize, liberate or inspire. Whether we speak, write, read, text or even use sign language, don't words carry a colossal bit of sway in our every day lives? Heck, in our aspirations? And, most importantly, our relationships? 

I suppose you all remember the game called "telephone" when the teacher whispers a message that must travel through the entire class. The last student must relate the message out loud, which is often muddled by the time words have passed through all the sets of tiny ears. Recently, I read an article in the New Yorker about a Tibetan Monk performing a similar exercise with thirty people using a Buddhist sutra. The results? While the words became completely lost, the sentiment remained. (Check out the article in the link above.)

Okay, so maybe words are just words...until affection takes hold. Then watch out. Powerful stuff begins to unfold. And just prove that point-

Peace to all of you and God bless! I truly hope you have a week like none other.

A Verbal Quandary

The other day our management team holed up for a day in a strategic planning meeting. At one point we were discussing the age-old issue of customer loyalty.  (Not to worry - I won't go into details of that tantalizing session here.) Suddenly, there was a word I wanted to use, disputing the theory of customer loyalty. But it wasn't coming to me. The word, I mean. The definition was clear in my mind. "The refusal or inability to act."  But the word? A complete blank ________.

As a matter of fact, we had moved on to many other topics and the mysterious word still befuddled me. It haunted whenever my mind found a chance to creep back to that moment of customer loyalty versus _________. ACK! What in the heck? Isn't the study of words my hobby? Don't I consider myself somewhat of a verbivore?

Word. Word. Is it....."complacent"? No, it's a noun, silly. A noun..."Complacency"? No. Not it.

On the way home from the strategic planning session, something scary occurred to me. "So, this is it. Alzheimer's begins." Then I started to think about physics. The word. It involves physics! Once step closer.

By supper time (still bothered by this elusive word), I asked Alex if she has studied any physics. "Nope." she replied. "What's physics again?"

Finally, I went to my PC and googled "physics" and "state of inactivity." Within thirty seconds I had my word: inertia.  Yeah, pretty heavy stuff, huh? Stephen Hawking would be impressed it took me all day to think of that one. (Anyway, the point I was going to make that often it's not really customer loyalty that keeps people from changing brands; it's usually inertia. )

So, this morning as I was reading through Cole's homework, imagine how delighted I was to see my son learning about Newton's First Law of Motion! And in capital letters (wouldn't you know?) Cole had neatly defined that amazing inactive state of stasis known as...inertia.

I could've just asked my nine-year old...gheez.