Words on the Weekend-Use Them Please

I have friends with young children. In an effort to engage them in conversation they encourage them to “use your words”. Words are my most valuable tool. I want to use them wisely, for good, not for evil and I want to be understood. I am frustrated when I can’t remember the correct usage of commonly misused words and am bugged by words that are constantly out of context. I appreciate the use of words instead of symbols. This weekend I was in a beautiful recreation facility where the stylized washroom signs and arrows had many people confused. In the past I’ve used ovens in relatives’ homes and wasn’t able to figure them out properly because the little pictures were more of a puzzle than obvious directions. We pride ourselves on our literacy rate and yet so many simple things are made less so because of the lack of words. Words are great and I’m going to keep using them.

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