If you think about it, there are not many things more powerful than words. They can make you laugh and they can make you cry. They are powerful enough to break hearts and are effective in mending broken hearts. They are so powerful that they alone can change lives, for the better or for the worse. Words can inspire an individual to do great and mighty things, but words can also send a person spiraling down and drowning in a cesspool of discouragement. Words can destroy a country and words can slowly repair the damage.
Words are a tool most all of us have to help us in maneuvering the maze of life. We can use the words for good or we can use our words for bad. There are a lot of words to choose from; we need to choose wisely. There are those words that are fun to say, such as ballyhoo, scalawag, piffle, namby-pamby, mollycoddle, and I could go on and on! Then there are those words that are difficult to pronounce, for example: Worcestershire, anathema, quinoa, isthmus, ignominious, and onomatopoeia. I could go on and on with this list also, as long as I can write them and not have to say them.
We at Lincoln Library have decided to do a “word of the week” to increase our vocabulary, and we would like to invite you to join us. Our first word of the week is a difficult word to pronounce; the word is “acquiesce” (a·kwee·es).” It is an intransitive verb that means to consent or comply passively or without protest. We are going to incorporate this word into our daily conversations, as soon as we learn how to say it correctly.
It is good to increase our vocabulary so that we have a better understanding when we read and are communicating with others. But even better is choosing to be careful with not only what words we use, but also the tone we send them forth with. If you can talk, acknowledge the power of your words. Choose kind words, whenever possible, that will encourage others, energize the tired, entertain the sad, exhort those needing a lift, empathize with those who are hurting, and work at excelling in the practice of the Golden Rule.
Just because I do believe in the Golden Rule, I acquiesce many times in confrontational matters due to the insignificance of the issue. (Did you see how easily I slid that new word in there?) Come on in and practice on us!