The Power of Words . . . .

Twas quite a day yesterday, thanks to words.  

Early yesterday morning, I wasn't yet quite awake---had just swallowed two sips of coffee when I read an email from my brother, announcing that his book had been released in Kindle form overnight. 

Special Note:  The book is available today in its print version Missile!, Missile!, Missile!, again at www.amazon.com.  

Prior to yesterday morning, I had figured there'd be a heads-up before he punched the button to let it out there.  He told me later in a telephone conversation that it just happened to be the day before Veterans' Day when he felt the Kindle version was complete and ready to go.

So, while slurping up that first shot of caffeine on a Monday morning, I went to www.amazon.com and wrote a quick review.  

Then, I sent a note to my brother, telling him about the review with a disclaimer that I had consumed only half a cup of coffee while writing it, so to go easy on me if he found anything amiss.

Well, over in DuPont, Wash.,  where he lives, the first thing he read when he awakened for the day was a note from a friend on the East Coast who had already read the Amazon review and thought it was good. 

Mike couldn't figure out how the news of his book release had traveled that fast, cuz, after all, he'd only told the family.

Well, that's how our world spins these days.   Blink, and things happen.  

Mike had a good day with his publishing news, and even some people outside the family have already read the book and sent accolades. 

So, on this very day when decades of  vivid memories, thoughts and emotions finally turned into a published piece for my brother, I received an email around 10 a.m.

It was an email sent just to immediate family from my son Willie.  "CHECK THIS OUT!" it said.

As I've frequently mentioned, Willie attends University of Idaho home football games and reports on them for the Idaho Press Tribune and the Hagadone North Idaho Sunday papers. 

This past weekend he was asked to submit his story about the Old Dominion-Vandal game to a sports exchange. 

Turns out big online newspapers picked up his piece and ran it on Sunday morning.  The best part:  they even used his byline.  

So, William Love stories about Old Dominion defeating the University of Idaho appeared in the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times online. 

Well, within seconds of my reading his note and checking those links, as a proud mom, I could not resist sending out word of Willie's good fortune as a sportswriter. 

One recipient, my friend Helen, wrote back with great praise and then followed up with a recollection of a similar incident about 30 years ago.

I think I was stringing for the Spokane Daily Chronicle at the time. It used to be our afternoon regional.  

I was also teaching high school English.  That year, my principal Richard Sodorff had come up with a novel idea:  let's give students the day off and have their parents attend their classes, as a hands-on way for them to learn firsthand what their children were learning in school. 

Oddly, not all kids convinced their parents to come to school.  Maybe the parents' absence was for clandestine reasons, but most classes were fairly well populated with moms and dads, even some who came tardy and had to go to the office for a tardy slip.  Ask Ginny Jensen about that!

Anyway, I wrote a story for the Spokane Chronicle, which included a mention of my friend Helen.  

A few days later, in far-off New York, AND New York and all big cites were considered really far off in those days, a mutual friend of Helen's and mine, Chris Moon, read about the parents attending school in place of their children at Sandpoint High in far-off, little podunk Sandpoint, ID.

I believe Chris used the telephone back then to notify Helen that her name had appeared in the Sunday New York Times.  Twasn't long before Helen let me know.  I was thrilled beyond measure, even though my byline did not appear.  After all, I knew who wrote the story, and that was enough for me.

So, hats off to Willie for his moment of sports fame.  Both Helen and I figure more will come to this young man and his written words. 

And, speaking of my friend Chris Moon and the written word, I received a note last night from my Sandpoint Magazine editor, wondering if a typo had occurred in the Sam Moon segment of our North Dakota story.

A friend had mentioned to her that possibly one word, allegedly used by Sam, should have been another word.  Upon receiving the note, I immediately remembered the context and wrote back, saying that it was NOT a typo.  

As I thought about it, though, I wondered if Sam, while answering questions for me had really meant the other word because, as I said to my editor, "It IS open for interpretation."

So, I sent a note to Sam.  Overnight, he wrote back, stating that "yes," he had meant to use that very word, adding an explanation of the specific scenario.

The point today, I guess, is that words are powerful.  Simple mistakes with them can bring us down but using them wisely and accurately can take both writers and readers on some wonderful journeys.  

For the most part, I'm figuring the examples above all illustrate some rather memorable and meaningful journeys, thanks to the power of words.  

And, I'm also thinking that anyone who uses the language as a daily tool can appreciate and identify with that aspect of personal power. 

Words are definitely a gift to be used with great care.