“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
I don’t know when I first heard that word, or who said it. It sounded bold and strong. In reflection, my hunch is that whomever coined that singsong wisdom was probably in some dark corner alone, crying to himself.
Words are not only capable of hurting us, they can be lethal.
At first, I was puzzled. I opened the newspaper (1-8-22) and at the very top, above the bold words, The Commercial Appeal, in the space that is always blank, there was the picture of a player in his basketball jersey, Memphis State 10. Along with the picture was the headline, Tigers’ Alex Lomax doesn’t deserve this type scrutiny. In small letters below that glaring word was SPORTS, 1B.
I paid no attention to the first section of the paper, but went immediately to page one of the Sports section. There, in the top half of the page, was a dramatic picture of Memphis 10, Tigers, Alex Lomax, battling for a loose ball.
If print could scream, the huge headline beneath the picture would have been screaming. TEARING A PERSON DOWN. The story was of player, Alex Lomax, becoming a “popular Memphis Scapegoat.” The writer was making the case, “He doesn’t deserve it.” So serious was the “tearing down” language addressed at Alex, that his father called the newspaper and complained, and the reporter was writing about the language onslaught Alex had been experiencing.
Greg Graber, a Memphis-based performance coach, was quoted. I can’t imagine being Alex’s age and dealing with that. Being an athlete on this level ramps up the stress. It’s unquantifiable the stress that’s on them. That stress has a cumulative toll if it’s not dealt with.
Words are not only capable of hurting….. they can be lethal. We often excuse what we say with the casual, “It’s just talk.” It’s never just…once they escape from our lips, words take on a life of their own. Words of cruelty, hatred, and prejudice lodge in the hearts of others, where they take root and grow.
The Gospel of John begins, “In the beginning was the Word…” No question: the power of the Word. Though not speaking of our words, it is true that so much of life, and certainly so much of our feelings and perceptions begin with words, and our words are powerful. Negative words, labels, thoughtless criticism, derogatory names, all hurt. They can damage us down deep in our soul and spirit.
Don’t believe “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Consider how Alex Lomax is hurting. Spend a bit of time thinking about words you have spoken during the past week. Did they have the capacity to hurt? Do you need to speak a healing word to speak a healing word to someone? “I’m sorry.” “Forgive me.”
Don’t believe “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”