(Get something to write with and on)
Now, choose a word. Write it down, then put it aside.
At this age, there are many words we’ve used not just one, but tens of thousands of times. And for each of those specific times we’ve used each word, we’ve been in a scenario. And with each scenario comes a specific memory and association. For example, if you hear the words “alphabet,” or “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” that might throw you back to your childhood when you first and most frequently heard those words. For every time you heard or said the word “alphabet,” whether it be used by you, a teacher, parent, or whoever, you were having a specific experience. Whether it be questioning what the alphabet was, cheering that you finally learned your ABC’s, or when your goofy friends ask you to recite the alphabet backwards to see if you were good to drive, you were in a scenario. Each one of those scenarios becomes a memory, which is essentially a mental picture your brain allows you to re-experience to certain extents. It is like this for everyone. So take a word like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and think of all the people who have said or heard that word and alllll the specific memories that went along with that word… waaaaaay more than a thousand pictures worth. You probably have at least five yourself, whether you can remember them or not.
A better example, is the word “Halloween.” You’re loaded with pictured memories from Halloween. You probably heard stories from your parents about Halloween from even before you could remember, and that’s not even mentioning going trick-or-treating, disobeying the “take one please” signs and grinning at your friends, acknowledging the rad sugar high you were about to get, when you wore your favorite costume, what your friends dressed up as, continuously ringing the doorbell of houses with their lights off, when your parents wouldn’t let you be the Halloween costume you wanted, having the biggest bag of candy you could’ve ever dreamed of, coming up shy with a skimpier bag of candy than you would’ve liked, elementary through high school Halloween parties, college Halloween parties, and work Halloween parties (to name a few). This one word is powered by thousands of pictures.
Taking this from a different angle, a picture can make you feel a certain way, but unless it’s obscenely graphic or completely unique, it probably won’t be too memorable. Words are different, as the most frequently used words can have the biggest impact. For example, when someone important, or someone you look up to comes up to you and speaks their mind, those words can have the power that thousands of pictures could. If they’re speaking highly of you, their words can mean the whole world to you. If they constructively criticize you, their words can have the power to shape you as a person and help you better yourself and others. Their words are something that will stick with you for the rest of your life, unlike the last thousand pictures you’ve liked on Instagram (okay, there was probably a solid couple pictures in that batch, but the majority of them go in one eye and out the other).
So yes, while a picture is worth a thousand words, I just want you to understand that a word can be equally worthy of a thousand pictures. There’s a story behind every word. Thoughtfulness.
So if every word is worth a thousand pictures, and a picture is worth a thousand words, then what we say and what we see is infinitely powerful and that’s why I’ve created Photographic Therapy.
To wrap this up, I want to leave you with one word.
Pterodactyl. Remember the first time you learned that Pterodactyl started with a P!? How boggling it was, how it taught you about silent letters, and opened up a new realm of possibilities within language? I’d like this post to be a “Pterodactyl” of its own.
Now, pick up the word you chose at the beginning. What word is it and what are some memories you’ve had revolving around it?
