Colorful Words

Yesterday I indulged my soap box impulse and wrote a blog about posting one’s bra color in a Facebook status. I write a lot of blogs expostulating my leftist observations through the looking glass. Sometimes I get comments, but seldom does it leave my circle of friends.

I suppose I’m still a bit of a neophyte to this world wide web of an audience. Odd, considering I’ve spent a huge bulk of time strolling through it on a daily basis for at least five years. It makes the world smaller and vaster at the same time. It startles me (even though my Leo self is a glutton for it) the attention that it can point in my direction.

And that there got me thinking about what I wrote, critiquing the ‘movement’ to reveal the rainbow of underwear flavors this week. Some of the challenges to my sentiment I found accord with… like get a sense of humour, Jessie. Well, yeah. I thought about that before I started writing. I mean… this is the girl who would dress up George Bush in her living room to look like a pirate drag queen. But… all our humours stop short at certain sensitive nerves.

I won’t say it is the fact it is Cancer. Or even underwear. Or even Facebook. The weird thing is… it is exactly what ended up happening as a consequence to my blog. It is the power of words.

Just over a year ago, I started writing again. With a concentrated devotion. For myself. Then about six months ago, I did something I haven’t done since high school. I admitted it to the world that I am a writer, that I want people to pay attention to what I say. But that and recent emotional wounds made me all too aware of the importance of what I say. The value of my words. The music. The integrity.

I have made an effort in recent months to say more. To appreciate more. To challenge more. To create more. To edit more. To reveal more. To hesitate more. To think more. To say what I feel, what I mean, what I believe… what I do. Because… as great and pretty and thought provoking as words can be… at the end of the day, they are meaningless if they are just words.

Maybe I’m even more sensitive to this because this is still the week of New Year’s resolutions. When so many of us say that this will be the year that we do… something. We say. We tell. We write about it in a blog or a Facebook status. How many of us do? It is one thing to talk. To heighten awareness. Knowing is half the battle. But the battle can’t be won until that knowledge is put forth into action.

So, yes, I am awestruck and amazed that my little rant yesterday spawned a thoughtful and appreciative conversation. But my closing sentiment wasn’t to urge you, my beloved readers, to talk and disperse more words into the ether. My urge was to DO. Maybe talking is your warmup. But don’t let it fade away when the next Facebook virus prompts your status update.

In closing, I will say this conversation inspires me. To be true to my words. I will walk. Will you join me? Seriously, join me.