Words Fade Through Time

Many people say that words last forever. That words are eternal. That words will continue to live on even after we are gone.

I believe otherwise.

You see, what we say now—the words the hold meaning for us—may not be true in the future. They may not hold the same weight, the same denotation, the same significance, that they do now in a couple of months.

A classic example—that I'm sure all of us can relate to—is the feeling of hatred towards someone. 

Feelings, like words, are also temporary. They are easily manipulated, and may be changed in any time, given the proper circumstance. But let's not get into that just yet. Feelings and emotions are a whole other discussion, but I'll use some bits and pieces here just to emphasize my point.

In the course of our lives, we have all encountered a person who may have vexed us or whose actions didn't coincide with our perspective on things. We all have that person who somehow did something to make us hate them. In other situations, we tend to have this intuition about this person that starts our hatred towards them, even if we may not exactly know why we dislike them in the first place.

Yes, I very much know that hate is a strong word. Though I feel it best—the word seems fitting—that this particular word be used in this piece of writing. After all, it has been a word very familiar to us since the days of our childhood. A word that we may have misunderstood and misused in the past, yet know its "universal meaning" all the same. To comprehend what I mean of "universal meaning", take some time walking down memory lane or ask a child's definition of the word.

There must have been a time when we first loved someone, then hated them after—or vice versa. We may have hated a classmate from school because of her behavior towards others, and told everyone about how much we dislike her; but as the years go by, the feeling of hatred fades. The words we spoke then no longer hold meaning to us now. 

Another is the feeling of crushing on someone. We may have said that we loved the person, and many other things about him; but if this crush doesn't evolve into anything more—anything deeper—it is sure to be washed away by the sands of time. Just like with the feeling of hatred, our words lose meaning as the weeks fly by.

I can say that words are temporary with certainty because words are often mixed with feelings and emotions. The words I've been referring to here are the ones we use when we communicate to others and express ourselves. Words that are basically opinions, not proven facts. Since these words generate from our emotional status, there really is no scientific way to prove that what we say is a 100% true.

Reading this, you may have thought of things you said before that don't mean the same to you now. Words that, said by the present you, would definitely cause confusion. Words of yesterday that wouldn't fit into today's circumstances. If you haven't thought of anything yet, maybe now's a good time. Think, really think, about the things you said before that you wouldn't dare say at this moment. 

I do hope we're at an understanding, you and I. Do you get the point I'm trying to convey? Or is everything I'm saying just a big blur of words?

Basically, the "lesson" I'm trying to get at here is this: The words people say—words you say—may not matter at all in the future. Don't get so worked up about them. Don't let measly words affect who
you are and how you go on with your life. Don't let feelings overpower your words—you may regret them later.

Think before you speak. 

Be who you want to be, 

and live as you want to live. 

Don't let other people talk you out 

of pursuing your dreams, 

downplay you for who you are. 

Remember, 

words are temporary, 

and not every word spoken is true. 

- (asayoungwriter) Bryanna