Ojisi’s Oxygen – Words!

Posted by: stiphbami in State of Mind Aug 7, 2015

WORDS!

Have you taken out time to notice the potency of words and the life they carry?
Do you just speak without understanding the power behind your speech?
Is talk really cheap?
Are words to you, just an emotional expression?

I am not particularly a fan of poems but something happened to me on the 23rd of May, 2014 at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos while attending the Role of Women in Emerging African Democracies Conference. There I encountered ‘Donna’, an Oil and Gas Lawyer who according to her ‘wears, eats, sleeps, speaks and thinks words‘.

Donna’s piece titled ‘What do You Wear’ sent the audience on a thought provoking journey of personal attitudes, choices, and generally all about our individual existence and our interactions and believe me, I am still on that journey.

The efficacy of words; this morning, I woke up to preparing an end of year report of my activities as President of my Rotaract Club to be submitted to the Rotaract District 9110, Nigeria. Whilst going through my earlier reports [Q1-Q3], I again was surprised at myself with certain choices I have made while writing. At the end of my report, I decided to see a movie and I joined my sister [my new Spiritual Backbone], she was watching the movie ‘Moses’. In the movie, I listened with rapt attention to the line of discussion especially when Moses was up in the mountain communing with God and was gone for 40 days with no sign of returning. It took few words from one person to get the Israelites agitated and then Aaron was forced to make for them the golden calf which they worshipped before the return of Moses.

While watching this scene, my mind drifted to other movies I had seen with similar events. Movies such as ‘Hitler The Rise of Evil, Troy, 300 II: The Rise of an Empire’ where words by one person has seen the death of so many people. History is replete with stories of War Generals, Kings and Sovereigns whom by the mere mention of the some words would order the destruction of other empires. Hitler is notorious for this.

In our contemporary world today, many of us are careless with words [I am guilty too]. The words that we speak, rather than bring life leads to destruction. Our nation is embroiled in the many insecurity crises, chief of which is the Boko Haram imbroglio which has led to the #BringBackOurGirlscampaign because of the words some of our leaders have said. Be them Political or religious, these words continue to live its potency throughout our lands.

Words are spirit and they are life! They can and indeed they do destroy just as they save lives and build destinies. The world needs men and women who will continue to speak life no matter the circumstances.

Since my experience with Donna, I am more drawn to poems and the wisdom they contain. I am beginning to seriously overhauling my word bank and substituting them with more energy-giving-life-saving words.

We can #BringBackOurGirls home with our words. We can change Nigeria with our words. We teach our leaders with our words to be responsible and responsive. Indeed we can transform our world with our words.

Speak Positively! Speak Peace! Speak Life! God Bless Nigeria!!!

@OjisiEmezie