Toothpaste Has Managed To Teach Me, A Writer, About The Power Of Words
“The pen is mightier than the sword” -- Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
The adage above has long been used to demonstrate the power of words. It’s true too! In the hands of the right person, the written language can be a more effective tool than violence. With a well-crafted selection of words, propaganda can be spread, enemies are made, and followers are gathered.
So, it is only natural that anyone who is proficient with words is also someone who holds yields great power. A writer is one such person.
But more recently, a new analogy has come under the spotlight – “Just like this toothpaste, once the words leave your mouth, you can’t take them back”.
Pearls of wisdom from a mother
This analogy between toothpaste and words emerged from a Facebook post that went viral. It was written by Amy Beth Gardner, a loving mom from Cleveland, Tennessee. The fact that a personal story from Cleveland has touched the hearts of many across the globe is further testament to the power of the written word.
The night before her daughter, Breonna, started middle school; she gave her a tube of toothpaste and squirted it all out onto a plate. Subsequently, she asked Breonna to put it all back into the tube. Naturally, her daughter was confused and frustrated.
"You will remember this plate of toothpaste for the rest of your life,” she told her daughter.
“Your words have the power of life or death. As you go into middle school, you are about to see just how much weight your words carry. You are going to have the opportunity to use your words to hurt, demean, slander, and wound others. You are also going to have the opportunity to use your words to heal, encourage, inspire, and love others,” she added.
Amy wanted to remind Breonna that words that leave her mouth are like the toothpaste she squirted onto the plate. She can’t take those words back.
The writer and the toothpaste
As a writer, communicator, or anyone with a piece of mind, we possess great power through our selection of words. Even if it’s something short on the internet. We all know what goes on the internet stays on the internet.
Previously, we could say that a pen, keyboard, or mobile phone is our most important tool. Maybe it’s time to change that to a tube of toothpaste instead!
