Anyone can write. Since we were all kids, someone inadvertently put a pen in our hand and said, write down your feelings. Whether through term papers, Wordsworth-esque poems to that 7th grade crush, or a journal on vacation, everyone doodles with the idea of meaningful writing. Step that thought up a notch to one’s distaste of certain journalists. Or to the Sports illustrated / Good Housekeeping / playboy that you read on the pot. Or even the articles that you gloss over on your way to the crossword in your daily paper. You’ve probably thought “I could do that.”
We all have an opinion and we all feel the need to share it. That is just a basic human trait. In today’s age, we have so many outlets to do so, even if they are unfortunately plagued by “LOLs,” “OMGs” or 40 character limits. Now of course, there are those writers that possess a little more diplomacy, the ability to really think out of the box and the skill to pick the most appropriate diction. They're so good at it, that they get paid to do so.
But even those who don’t know the difference between “your” and “you’re” or the difference between a colon and semi-colon deserve to describe their thoughts! Whether you have won the Pulitzer or still don’t know the meaning of onomatopoeia, it really doesn’t matter. You have a brain, so use it and put some words together!
Today I was reminded of just why writing is such a great thing.
After completing his MBA at The University of Massachusetts, Avi, one of my friends returned to Bangalore, India (the city where my parents live) to finally open his dream restaurant. It opened this past year and looks great. I have not been able to dine there yet but really look forward to trying it out this Christmas. Sean, another friend of mine, returned to Bangalore, India after graduating from Chapman University, California. After putting in time for AOL as a content editor he has found a new niche in DJ’ing at local hot spots in the city.
Now Avi and Sean don’t know each other. But today, as I was reading Sean’s latest post on his blog, it caught my eye that his review on his “restaurant of the month” was a well-written piece on Medici, which just happens to be Avi’s restaurant.
It was a thorough review of the restaurant that had a positive recommendation. Sean has about 26 followers on his blog and while he’s on the air for radio indigo, probably reaches a few hundred listeners. Then take into consideration the whole 6 degrees of separation concept and you can see where I’m getting at – one person’s simple opinion can really produce a drastic impact.
And that, simply put, is the power of innocent words. I don’t know if I agree completely with Lytton’s famous adage “the pen is mightier than the sword,” because I think that any sane person would really rather have a sword than a pen in a battle. But in today’s global-viral village, words definitely have a sharp edge and can definitely slash through thousands of miles to reach literally anyone. Now that, is truly a powerful weapon.
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