I read the other day that the average American has a vocabulary of about 10,000 words. I didn't believe it so I started saying all of the words I knew. After about the first 100 or so words, I stopped my experiment. Kind of like when you try to see how many licks it takes to get to the chocolaty center of a tootsie roll pop.The words that come out of our mouths speak volumes about who we are inside. Our words reveal who we really are. The traditional English proverb says, "The eyes are the window to the soul" and while that might be true, I believe that the mouth is the door.
Those of you who know me will know that I have a pretty flavorful vocabulary. During my life, my words have brought comfort to broken hearted, dispensed wisdom to the masses and may have even made the devil blush. The words of Bill Kirby indicate that he is a tortured soul...well, at least, sometimes.
I believe there are two instances in a person's life when you can really see into their soul by the words that they speak. The first is when they are hopelessly and unequivocally inebriated. Just ask Mel Gibson. As for me, some of my funniest material has come at the hands of my good friends, Jack Daniels and Sam Adams. If you want to know how I really feel about something or someone, just get me lit.
The second instance, is on a person's death bed. It's the end...there is nothing to be gained or lost by what we say...or is there? By a person's words you will know where their heart is and what they really believe. For instance, Mother Theresa's last words were, "Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you." Contrast that with the English Writer, Norman Douglas, who said, "Get these fucking Nuns away from me!" It is believed that Edgar Allen Poe made a death bed confession when he said, "Lord, help my poor soul."
So, I wonder what my last words will be...Hopefully, we don't have to find out for a long, long time. But just in case I die as I hit the "Publish Post" button for this blog, I want you all to know, that in this life, "I did my damnedest..."
