I grew up in a home where words were valued. My father, for almost my entire life, was a newspaper man. He worked for Gannett from the time I was five until his death last year. That is 43 years at the same job, some company. He was a reporter so constantly let me know that words matter.
The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors – boy, Dad must be turning over in his grave as editors were a particular dislike of his – is sponsoring Words Matter Week this first week in March. There will be five – Monday through Friday – blog prompts for those who wish to participate. The first prompt is:
What is the most important word or words in your life? Why?
This is an easy prompt. It is odd but I think the most important word in my life is LOVE. Everything can be associated with love – family, friends, faith. Everything! If your life is full of love, your life is full. If your life is void of love, not so good.
Yes, there are days when I don’t necessarily love my family. I do but I don’t. You all know what I mean. Those days are few and far between lately which is good as it makes love and life so much better.
I love my friends! Because of this affection for these people, I am keenly interested in their lives. I am interested in what they are doing and where they are going. I am willing to support them if necessary. They are family to me, just not related by blood.
And think! If you work at your passion, you love what you do.
March 1st, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Amen to LOVE.
Admittedly, I don’t stay with it 24/7 but though I veer from it from time to time, I do always come home to it.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:57 pm
You know it, Belinda!
March 1st, 2010 at 10:58 pm
How incredible that your dad was a newspaperman (now that we all know mine was a laundryman…). And I love the blog challenge. When I was editing my book I kept noticing words I used over and over again, that’s what the challenge reminds me of, the words that pop up in my writing.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:13 am
Sometimes it is hard for me to admit what my father did. I grew up in a town that almost everyone’s working parent was employed by IBM. Of course, growing up IBM employed probably 20,000 in this area and now maybe 2,000. On top of that, I did not live with my father as his job took him to a city about 60 miles away.
Thanks for reading, Linda. Not quite sure where I was going with the first paragraph here.
March 4th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
kinda funny, i just wrote this:
http://bothsidesofben.blogspot.com/2010/03/one-two.html
March 4th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I was reading this as you were leaving the comment. I have to go back now and comment on it, Ben. BTW, loved the poem and can’t wait to hear you read it.