The Power of the Word

I am a 42-year old nerd. I not only admit it, I embrace it. With the exception of a couple of adolescent summers of friendly neighborhood softball/football, I don't have an athletic bone in my body. My passion, it seems, has always been the written word.

I love words.

Words are the fundamental building blocks of human communication. From idle chatter to song to multi-million dollar business transactions and foreign policy, the words we choose set the tone for every relationship we build in life. They can be frivolous, heartwarming, or destructive.

Yes, the word is powerful. It allows us to offer comfort to a friend or destroy an enemy with the flick of the tongue. It can evoke laughter or tears, joy or sorrow. It allows us to live vicariously through favorite authors, characters, or songwriters.

I love to read and I love to write. Even in this computer-dependent world, I still prefer the weight of a smooth-writing pen in my hand to the clicking of this keyboard. I still prefer receiving an old-fashioned, handwritten letter from a friend to opening my email. It's personal, thoughtful, even intimate.

I love music. The greatest music of all time isn't about genre, it's about lyrics. I love music that speaks to me. Doesn't matter if it's country, rock, or blues. There's a different musical genre to suit every mood, personality, and occasion. Sometimes we want to be inspired or uplifted; other times we simply want to be entertained. It's not the music that makes that difference, it's the lyrics.

I love books. Second only to my family, books are the love of my life. I can rarely throw one away. To me, throwing away a book is close to a dagger in the heart. (Again, I'm a nerd...) There are many things I'll never do and many places I'll never see in my lifetime, yet a well-written book can transcend time and space. I can get lost in the pages and go anywhere, do anything with the characters of print. I can experience eras of yesteryear or explore the great pyramids of Egypt between the front and back cover of a great book.

I cannot count the number of books I've read in my lifetime. I've sampled it all: general fiction and nonfiction, autobiographies, mystery, history, sci-fi, historical romance, true crime, legal thrillers, self-help, how to guides, poetry, folklore, politics, religion, current events, and literature. I've found something to love in every genre. Truly, the word knows no bounds.

I hope to explore many books in this blog. Perhaps I can recommend some great reading experiences for you, and I hope you'll reciprocate in kind. Together, we can share our love of the written word and travel to places and times we've yet to experience. I hope you enjoy the ride.