And yet another reason to post today

Beginnings and endings. Starts and stops. Don't get me started. Start your engines. Start button. Start spreading the news ...

Exploration of a single word can cause profound results. In this case, it's another social networking, blogging exercise in support of writers - to get them going on something - this something is a word. The word for this week is START.

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A few months back, when I was working on a project with a PM, I was told "Words don't matter". Every once in a while I trot out this gem to tease him with his own words. The irony is that words do matter.

The child hood rhyme:

Sticks and stones will break my bones
But names will never hurt me.

is so completely and utterly WRONG.

Verbal abuse is insidious and vicious. While leaving no visible marks, it can cut a person's psyche. I witnessed the children's version while watching the first few minutes of CU-2's dance class role out. A kid was being teased about his name, which ordinarily enough, like Bob, has a longer version as he put it. He liked the short version and didn't want to be known by the more formal. The kids picked on him by refusing to accept his preference, and even tried to involve the teacher in on their play. And so it starts.