“The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter–it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” -Mark Twain, (letter to George Bainton, 1888)
The hardest part about writing Turn Around Tuesday is finding the quote. (Note: If you have one you really like, feel free to send it to me!)
What it is about quotes that make them lasting, memorable, and recited? I think it’s the impact the words make on us as a person when we hear them. In that statement, we are allowed an “aha” moment. Recalling the words spoken later is an attempt to regain that moment. When it is successful, it enters into a different playing field – it becomes “a quote.”
Many times I go through my day and don’t realize all the words I put out there. Banter with friends, time with family, working with clients – there is a lot of information being passed around. Not all of it useful, most of it is good, occasionally it is careless.
The permanence of the word is realized when somebody else remembers yours for you. “Remember when you said…” That can be an powerful moment – hopefully in a good way.
We often overlook how much our words can mean to another person. Today, I make it my mission to find the right words. Not just to convey a thought, but to give back to someone else. Funny thing happens when we speak goodness to others – we get to keep a little of it for ourselves.