The Words of Hope

I never really thought much about the power of words. They were just there. In grade one we learned how to sound them out. In grade two we wrote some sentences. In grade three some harsh words were spoken by the teacher to encourage me to learn to remember how to divide. In grade four I used harsh words to bully in the playground. In grade five I won the spelling contests, Mrs. Castillio sang words to us with her guitar and told us she loved us all the time. In grade 6 we used words to advertise our new products we invented. From grade 7 to grade 9 words were only important in the context of social life and lyrics to my favourite songs. By grade 10 I was bored with school and quit to learn on the job. Then words became important again. As I watched the interactions and listened to the words of the farmers coming in to buy fuel I was intrigued. I listened as they exchanged stories about crops and weather. At 16 I wondered why people communicate. It took me almost 40 years but I am now just starting to grasp the power of words.

A wise man said, "In the beginning was the Word". I wonder if this was said to capture the true power of a word? What I am observing these days is the use of Hope language in a time of rapid change. Perhaps I have just become more observant of this trend. What I see are things like Home Décor stores being sold out of the word Hope while other words like family, love, faith are still available. When I asked about this they said they have trouble keeping them in stock due to the high demand for the word 'Hope'. I saw a government begin to use Hope Language in how they approach crime by naming a new provincial police force "Peace Officers". I came from an education symposium that has instilled a new sense of Hope in me for our children through the use of Hope Language. Even among the pessimists at my table this language was so powerful it sustained Hope among the hopelessness. If the Word is the beginning I see a wonderful new world on the way just by the signs of Hope language.


I wonder what Einstein may have thought about the physics of words?

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