#TheFinal14: The Biggest Lie Our Parents Ever Told Us

Bless our parents’ hearts.

They thought they were doing us a great service. They thought they were protecting us from things we did not and could not defend against. I’m not here to say shame to all parents. They were doing their jobs, really. They were trying to keep us from harm, and guard our little dreams and perceptions of the world as long as they could.

But in doing so, they lied to us, and it was the biggest lie they ever told.

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words, words could never hurt you. They said it with such conviction, such experience and wellbeing that it would be wrong for us to fault them for it. When we were little, we were quick to cry and easy to rile. Even with the most basic of vocabularies, those certain kids on the playgrounds and in our PE classes were able to invoke the worst in us. And as we went home to the comfort our families, and parents, they told us these words. They told us that words meant nothing, and they could cause us no harm.

That was a lie.

Words, some small and others long, are some of the most powerful things that we were gifted with by God. Words can heal hearts, they can free souls, and inspire the masses. They can cause wars, and drive people mad, and deter ones from dreams, and goals, and life achievements.

I Have Dream.

Tear Down This Wall.

We Have Nothing To Fear.

Ask What You Can Do For Your Country.

Hiel.

Not Welcome Here.

Colored.

Boys Club.

Enough.

All of these are simply words. They are simply groupings of letters and yet they all changed the world. Our parents lied to us. They tried to protect us. They tried to ease us into the enormity of the power of words. For some, it’s gone well. For some, words while powerful and large, have been kind to them. They’ve treated them well. But for others, words have done an incredible amount of harm. For others, they were used as bullets, as lashes on their souls. And some of them, for some of the others, it was all just a little too much.

It’s an odd thing to think about, the magnitude of words. But it’s something that all of us as a country and as a civilization should spend a bit more time thinking about. Words can inspire. They can give hope, shed light, and make dreams realized. But they can destroy, devastated, belittle, scare, and overwhelm when used for dark and inhumane purposes. So think about that the next time you interact with someone. Think about it the next time you meet someone new, or get into an arguement, or comment on that facebook article about people you know nothing about, or pen that tweet.

Words are powerful, and with great power comes great responsibility.

A parent said that too.

EICHEL | @EichelGDavis