Ah, words! Especially to writers, they are more precious than jewels, as essential as air, and powerful enough to create entire worlds. We chase them, massage or mince them, we roll them around in our mouths, savoring every delicious subtlety. Mostly, we love them.
The other day I was wearing a T-shirt that says "Let's Eat Kids. Let's Eat, Kids. Punctuation Saves Lives!" My son laughed and said, "That's funny because, you know, writing and grammar are your thing." Or, to borrow a phrase from him, words are my jam. (A healthy respect for vernacular is a must for any wordsmith.)
Yes, they are my jam. Not just because I'm a writer. I'm also certified in Healing Touch, an energy medicine modality based on the scientific reality that everything---including thoughts, words, ideas, and beliefs---is energy, and that we influence that energy through our actions.
That's why, amidst all the rhetoric being bandied about in recent days, I am most incensed by the idea that the vile and disrespectful words spoken by Donald Trump about women are supposed to be dismissed as meaningless because they were between two men who were simply acting like men. At least that's what I'm guessing "locker room" talk means.
But I'm pretty sure that Einstein's famous equation applies in locker rooms too. He and other physicists like Nikola Tesla have proven that feelings, thoughts, and emotions all emit unique energetic signatures, and play a vital role in creating our reality.
Pioneering physicist Sir James Jeans wrote: "Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter, we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter."
In the famous water crystal experiments conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto, words were shown to have a transformative impact on a molecular level. Words like JOY, LOVE, GRATITUDE were taped on water containers. Then the water was frozen into crystals that, when observed under a microscope, looked like beautiful and uniquely patterned snowflakes. But when words like HATE or FEAR were used, the crystals were disfigured, asymmetrical, or unformed.
And it wasn't just the physical act of putting pen to paper that led to profound results. The same changes were observed when the words were spoken, as in prayer.
Prayer, affirmation, intentions, well-wishes, words of love, even a simple hello to a stranger on the street---these are real, living, breathing, exchanges of energy that uplift, connect, inform, and shape our experiences. They are the means through which we reveal our hearts to one another, as well as our character.
As a society, we have a slippery relationship with words. Issuing a threat against a world leader who may be hundreds of miles away could land you in jail, while a man living in the same house with a woman can threaten to kill her but, unless actual violence takes place, he is not punished.
We acknowledge that words can be life-altering, and at the same time, we want the freedom to proclaim them meaningless when they're not matched with visible actions or consequences.
Words spoken from a podium must be heard. Jokes cracked in private must be ignored.
But no matter how times change or science advances, one thing stays true: John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The word was God. I can't think of any more powerful phrase. Except maybe one:
I'm sorry.
Tammy Letherer is a writing coach who loves to help others find their voice, whether in a blog or in a book. She is the author of one novel, Hello Loved Ones, and a memoir, Real Time Wreck: A Crash Course in Betrayal and Divorce, for which she is seeking agent representation. Contact her if you have a story that deserves to be shared. Follow her on Facebook and LinkedIn.