The Word

Busy, busy. Today we are all so busy. Communication is the key to understanding. Look at the technology that we have. We can flash an idea clear around the world in nothing flat. We can keep up with hundreds of acquaintances with the click of a single button. We can send pictures of ourselves in that silly hat that we knitted all by ourselves without leaving the security of our homes. We can email our friends and family everyday and inform them of every detail of our lives. In fact, with blogs, we can inform the whole world of every detail of our lives. We can rant and rave and bare our souls. We can laugh and cry and send our emotions to everyone in our address book if we so choose in the same instant, but I learned a very important lesson the other day. The spoken word can heal.

The spoken word can lift us up from the very depths of depression in a way that no email can ever do. The lilt of the voice can soothe like a lullaby. Some people have a gift in knowing the exact right words to say and how to say them. The next time that I know someone is hurting or upset, I shall remember the spoken word―the lazy man's email just won't do.

When I read the following poem by a SplashHall poet, I didn't really understand what was meant. Now I do. They have that something special, and they use the spoken word.

The X Factor

Is it a gene; is it a gift; is it acquired?
That special extra outpouring of concern.
That service that exceeds all others.

The smile that does not flash on and off
born of politeness, but glows focused just on you.
Time has no constraints or controls;
you receive their undivided attention.

Many walk in their shadow
Few have the electricity to illuminate their surroundings

Be it the boardroom or the backyard,
reward is not their focus.
Excellence is their motive.
How they stimulate us followers
who stand in awe.

Once met, their presence remains like a beacon at sea.
How blind can we be if we do not acknowledge this special soul
gifted beyond belief
They stand apart,
an example of how good we could be
given the test.

These people possess the X factor.
Maybe we can absorb this essence.

© Kevin Taylor (used with permission)

I think that I will go telephone my mother now.