Respect for Words; respect for those receiving them!

Words are just words aren't they? Well yes they are, but as people, do we use them too lightly, without understanding their true meaning? The biggest example I can give, is social media, facebook in particular. Personally I am a big fan of this medium, connecting the world through the internet, but like most things that are popular, it does have its banal side, can be rather prosaic, vacuous and encourages bad use of grammar and a misunderstanding of words used. It is easy to type a message to others, rather than pick up the phone or speak face to face; we articulate with friends and colleagues in this way everyday. In all but name, facebook is a channel for oral communication, even when sentences are used instead of sounds. In these modern times, we really do use messaging, facetime, messenger and whatsapp, far more than we actually use our own voice, to communicate a message; it is important therefore, that we realise what we are composing.

Last night I was randomly scanning through facebook, as I do quite often. I saw the predictable platitudes, falsehoods and cringeworthy status updates, from the usual suspects; no surprise for me, about who they were. Anything I write on social media is true; I will not lie; this has got me in a lot of trouble in the past but I am not in the habit of talking nonsense to anyone. If I don't like someone I can quite easily remove them from my life; easier to do now, than it once was, especially with a block button on facebook and a wealth of knowledge and previous experience; we are after all, all of us,  the sum of our own experiences. As I scrolled through my facebook updates, I was surprised to recognise words, that had once been said to me, from someone no longer in my life. Even when one blocks a person, one does occasionally see the odd statement, here and there, from people you would rather not entertain.

I am under no illusions about people, I am well aware of who and what they are; when you suffer at the hands of a sociopath, reading others character becomes second nature. At the first sign of a repeat performance, I have been warned to remove the problem; warning signs light up across someones brow, larger than life, like you wouldn't believe; just as it does on facebook, as it did last night. The only word I would use, to describe my reaction, is disappointment; regret I ever bothered to get to know them, dismay at their banality and disenchantment with human nature as a result. For a moment I felt a little over sensitive about words written, a repeat of those said to me; empty without sincerity and clearly a phrase used many times towards those popular at a given point in time. Words are indeed easy to say; once written down, they are hard to dismiss. The phrases we write to each other, often tell us a lot about an individual, a story about our genuineness and authenticity, how real and original we are and the ingenuous nature of all of us. Yesterday I woke up and started to realise just who matters in life; my partner and I should stop acting so heartbroken and upset.

When one makes a conscious decision to dissolve a friendship, one doesn't do it lightly. Past indiscretions would see me hanging on to the most destructive alliances, preferring to keep people close, rather than lose them, no matter what the consequences. The locution of someone I once held in high regard, should really pay no part in my thought process, but like most of us, who have feelings, I do take things very personally at times.  Words are just words, but please be careful how you use them. When you use sensitive phrases, understand their importance to the person receiving them. Do not play with their emotions, there are enough false, fallacious, erroneous individuals in the World, without adding another one to the list!

Stay true!

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