A writer I follow and respect recently had some spiteful words hurled at
her like a clump of mud. She washed it off as best she could but some bits
dried and stuck and took more effort to scratch off. I suspect a dull residue remains
that will take even longer to fully remove.
Last week I wrote about a particularly mean comment I received. The malice in those words
lied in wait, crouched and still, ready to pounce on me the minute I haplessly wandered
to the comment section below my post. The attack left me stunned, dizzy and
seeing stars. I shook it off and moved on, refusing to give in to the almost
seductive power those words had to create doubt and insecurity.
I don’t know why people choose to hurt. I imagine
it originates from a need to feel powerful. I do know that few things
are more powerful than words, especially when they’re strategically constructed
and launched from behind the barricade of a computer screen and the shield of anonymity.
I can’t stop a person from being hurtful if that’s
their intent. But I can make sure, to the best of my parental ability, that neither of
my children (who are currently polishing off the last of the many, many
groceries I bought only yesterday) follow suit.
I taught my sons, from the moment they blew their
first raspberry, that name-calling is bad; and they get it. But as
teenagers they will joke around, tossing about unkind and useless words
like a casual game of catch, not realizing the strength of their arms or the
faults in their aim. They don’t understand that somewhere an innocent window is
about to get smashed. They don’t grasp the potential damage of their wordplay, especially when it involves social media, where the bulk of their "words" consist of a mere three letters ... at most ... and no vowels!
Words can be weapons, permanent in their
destruction. But they are not arrows that simply fall dead on the ground if a target
is not lined up in front of them like a row of tin cans. Cruel words and ridicule are
heat-seeking missiles that tirelessly search out a live, beating heart until they zero in on one. That’s their programmed purpose, their mission, from the moment they are carelessly or carefully launched … online, out in the great wide open, or
even quietly in our heads.
Words are a responsibility. Handle with care.
Exercise with caution.
And above all, be kind.
