with these words

Today, as I watched Obama hiccup through his oath of office (even with my political inclinations, I must admit that it really wasn't his fault), I was struck by the power of words. It's not a novel realization -- scholars have written about it, academics have discussed it and everyone has participated in it. But to someone who has experienced some of her most poignant moments due to the impact of spoken language, it was a reflective moment nonetheless.

By saying 35 words, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America.

With 7 words ("I now pronounce you husband and wife"), two individuals become Mr. & Mrs.

The president of a university declares students with certain credentials to be graduates.

Servicemen swear an oath of enlistment.

A person becomes an American upon repeating the oath of allegiance.

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."


Behold, the power of the spoken word -- to change us, to create us, to redefine us.


Let us use our words, in this time, to build up rather than tear down. Even when I don't hear the words I want to hear, let mine bring unity rather than division. So that maybe - just maybe - we can speak the world we want into existence.

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