Quotations and the Power of Words

I have been a wordsmith longer than I've known what a wordsmith was. I love writing, reading, listening to speeches, talking, collecting quotes of famous and anonymous authors. I love the sound of words, the rhythm of language, the way dialects use inflections differently by regions. Unfortunately after all these years, I am still monolingual. I did study French for five consecutive years in high school and college; learned to read French literature and poetry in french and I even began dreaming in French which linguists say indicates the shift to bilingualism. But alas, that knowledge/skill has been stored in brain cells I do not access. But I digress.

I mentioned collecting quotes. For some thirty-seven years I have jotted lines from songs, poems, portions of dialog from classic literature, scriptures and speeches into assorted blank books. I have memorized and integrated many of the quotes into the fiber of my being; they have influenced how I think about and view reality. Most quotes I collect are there to inspire me to change. Change? Why change? What's wrong with how things are?

From a very young age I began to see that the world around me was not staying the same. Houses changed, schools changed, number of family members changed with birth and death, even friends changed. I struggled (still struggle) with the concept; tried lots of ways to control change but to no avail. So I learned to embrace change. "Change is good!" I remind myself when another change is brought my way.

This new blog is about dealing with change. It happens to all of us in a variety of ways; some big, some small. I would love to hear how you cope, what skills you have learned in the face of change. I hope to inspire us with quotes; words to ponder and perhaps live by. The power of words is immense. Words can heal or hurt. They express love, inspire to greatness, and comfort in times of loss.

What change has come your way of late? How have you dealt with it? What words do you have to share?

Yours Along the Way,
Lisa