The Power of the Written word

Something I've been think about lately. It has been said that when William Booth (the founder of the Salvation Army) was on his death bed in 1912, he wanted to send a message to the leaders of the various Salvation Armies around the world. With the cost of Telegrams being so high he could only afford to send one word out. The word that he chose was simply ‘others’. This one powerful word went on to become the motto of the Salvation Army inspiring people around the world to act selflessly and give back just as William did. The Salvation Army hasn’t been able to find the documental proof of this telegram, so this story is purely anecdotal. But I can’t help but think that this simple story is the perfect example of the power of the written word.

History has given us some of the most powerful, inspiring words that will ever be spoken. Martin Luther King’s speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he called for equality and an end to discrimination will forever be imprinted in the minds of not only Americans but people around the world. His speech containing the famous words “I have a dream today” have become his legacy that has outlived him.

The ancient philosophers like Socrates and Plato with words like ‘I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance’ are still being quoted (and misquoted on Facebook) to this very day. And every year thousands of high school students around the world dive into the works of William Shakespeare. Learning stories of betrayal, love and tragedy. Then awkwardly acting out the famous words of Mark Antony “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”

Unfortunately language has also provided us with examples that aren’t so enchanting. There are countless songs being played on the radio that talk of being the biggest pimp on the block or going to the club to get a ‘drank’. And if I never hear the phrase ‘nek minnit’ ever again I will not be complaining.

These wonderful and not so wonderful examples can’t help but make me wonder that if we are lucky enough to be able to communicate with each other and leave our legacy in the form of words, should there be a sense of responsibility that comes with the power of speech? Should we think before we speak? Are all those arguments about grammar on Youtube valid? Should I stop talking smack about Glee on the internet? So, valued reader. What do you think? Do we have a responsibility to use our words carefully or are they merely a means to and end? This is not a rhetorical question.

+ by Ed Sheeran

+ by Ed Sheeran Today is not a particularly great Monday for me. My eyes are tired, my voice is croaky and my ears are ringing. It’s all due to a man called Ed Sheeran and I could not be more grateful to him.

 Last night Ed blew the roof off of Aotea centre in Auckland and it was AMAZING! Seriously this guy is a genius, if you’ve heard his songs on the radio you would probably think that a concert with no band, just Ed and a baby guitar would be a pretty quiet affair but let me tell you it was not. With the help of a loop pedal and his in-house gospel choir (the audience) he sung, rapped and beat-boxed his way through a two hour show.

 Ed is coming back next March for another two shows but I highly recommend you get his album out from the library. It’s such a winner and not at all what you would expect from a 21 year old ginger from Suffolk.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

There's a chance that some of you may have heard of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and already written it off. I mean the publishers of this book are 'MTV Books' which in itself is kind of gross and you may have seen the many thousands of oh-so-edgy quotes and gifs on Tumblr backed by pictures of snow/flowers/arms and God knows what else. But before you write this off as hipster nonsense; hear me out because it's actually kind of amazing.

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. (From http://www.goodreads.com/)

There are several pretty solid reasons why I liked this book and I think you, anonymous reader, may like it for the same reasons so hear me out:

-Charlie is a bit peculiar and awkward that his interactions with other people are either endearingly cute or hilariously uncomfortable. He's odd, and I like that because it makes me feel normal in comparison.

-This book was written in the 90's so it's gloriously free of cell phones and Facebook and the kids actually go outside. Ahh, the good old days.

- While Charlie is a bit of a spaz he has amazing taste in music and books (there goes my attempt at not writing about music). Charlie makes mix tapes featuring The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Suzanne Vega and Procol Harum. And reads books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, On The Road and The Fountainhead.

-This September the movie of TPOBAW is coming out and it's directed by Stephen Chbosky himself. Which fascinates me because when I saw the casting I thought 'Emma Watson as Sam is just plain wrong!' then I realised the author did the casting so I've decided to shut up and accept that I don't know anything.

I know you may be thinking 'Laura, you just said that this book mentions The Smiths and Jack Kerouac and you're telling me it's not hipster nonsense?' And I will be the first to admit that this book does have a bit of a cult following but unlike Glee it's actually a quality book that's defiantly worth your time. And I promise that if you find Charlie so annoying you want to push him out of a moving car; then I will watch an hour of Glee to make up for it*.


*I lied, I'm not doing that.

Dear Internet.

Dear Internet.

I’ve got to be honest with you. The closest I have ever come to blogging is laughing at people who write really pointless, angry Youtube comments and making pictures of Colin Firth my computer screen saver, so I’m not really sure how to go about this. I think maybe we should start by being honest with each other. The Internet is nothing if not honest.

Well, my name’s Laura and I am a librarian. And yep, that does mean that I read a lot. I set myself a challenge at the start of the year to read 52 books in 52 weeks. So far, I have read 31 books in 22 weeks. I’m ahead of schedule because I read Poison Study by Maria V Snyder and liked it so much I read all of her other books in just over a week.

I love coffee and chocolate (I’m not addicted, I just enjoy twitching). I have a horse called Nimbus but I don’t often call him by his real name usually it’s ‘Orange Pony’ or any combination of my favorite swear words when he’s misbehaving. I think 30 Rock is the greatest show to ever exist (Closely followed by Community and CSI) and I admire Tina Fey so much that my religion on Facebook is currently listed as ‘Feyminist’.

 My love of music started when I was 6 years old. When I relentlessly begged my parents to get me Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’. Eventually they gave in and my obsession with music began. Growing up the sound track of my life was severely different from other kids but I didn’t care, I had Freddie Mercury, Carole King and Johnny Cash. There isn’t really a type of music I don’t like. Apart from Glee. Glee is the worst.

That’s pretty much all you need to know about me for now. My plan is to just make it up as I go and try my best not to sound like Charlie Sheen.
Best wishes, Laura.