Words and their meanings

I have to give a talk this week. So it has had me thinking. I am trying to figure out a topic still. I think I might come up with one before Wednesday, but I am not sure. Anyway, I haven't done something like this in a few years. So I have had to think carefully about what I want to say. And it made me realize that words have meaning.

So I  thought "What words are the most meaningful in the English language?" I have narrowed it down to three sayings:

1. I love you.
2. I hate you.
3. I need help.

Okay, so let me start with the first one. Love - I am still not sure why love is so powerful. But think back to the first time you said I love you to your spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend. Think about the look in their eyes. I can still remember the first time I told my wife I love her. I won't bore you with the details, or embarrass her with them. But I still vividly remember it. And now when my kids say I love you, especially the youngest, I see the look in her eyes and how much she wants to know she is loved to. Of course she is. Love is a powerful thing.

I hate you is also powerful. Hate is such a strong word. I don't think hate and love are opposites though. Hate is so strong. Like and dislike clearly are antonyms. But love and hate, I don't think so. Tell someone you hate them and see what response you get. See how upset it makes them. You can say a lot of terrible things to someone but they still don't generate the same response as "I hate you." I don't know why. I would leave that to folks smarter to me to figure out. But I think it has something to do with our desire to be liked, accepted, part of a group. If you hate someone, you are excluding them.

Finally, I need help. Maybe it is a guy thing. But I think most guys find it difficult, if not impossible, to ask for help, to admit we need help. It shows weakness, or maybe failure. Men don't like to show weakness. I think its some caveman thing. We are afraid the others in the pack will take advantage of our weakness.

But, I think admitting you need help, admitting a weakness or a failure is a good thing. We aren't perfect. I don't want to get too religious, but God made us in his image, he didn't make us duplicates of him (or her, I am totally open to the idea that God could be a woman). Anyone who thinks he or she is perfect is probably just playing ostrich. I think admitting a weakness or a failure is a sign of being human, of being a person. And I think people like that. At least, its my experience that people like me more when I can admit I am human and make mistakes.


I think we forget the meaning of words, the importance of language. I am going to think about this more. Maybe this is a topic for me.............