You've all heard the rest of the above sayings... it's a familiar saw. It concludes...."my bones, but words will never hurt me".

Words do hurt! Many times a lot worse than sticks and stones. We've all been deeply hurt by words spoken in anger, or thoughtlessly.

We also hurt others with our own carefully chosen, often bitter, words.

I recall, from somewhere in the recesses of my mind, a line from a story, "Words, like the arrow from the bow flies. Where it goes, we know not... nor what pain it may inflict". As with the arrow, words, once spoken, cannot be recalled. Oh, we can feel very sorrowful about what we might have said... even wish we hadn't spoken. We can beg forgiveness of those whom we hurt with our careless words. But... the pain has already been suffered by our target.

I remember a Navy Commander who could have been talking to me, saying, "Sailor, make sure the brain is in operation before engaging the mouth!"

My father told me, "Son, never say anything bad of someone, for in everyone there is good and bad. Look for the good, dwell on it, then talk about it".

Mighty good advice, Dad. Thanks!!

- - - Tom Nance