The World of Words

The other day I was in Jamnagar. There was a book sale near home. It was quite tempting. You could buy 1 kg books for Rs. 150. Yes, that’s correct! Books were be- ing sold by weight. Words have a sacrosanct quality in my world and so I won- dered, how do you weigh the words in a book.

A compact classic like George Orwell’s Animal Farm and some other thousand page trash of the second hand literature can not be and should not be weighed with a common unit of measurement. Every word not only has its height, depth and width, but it has its unique texture, smell, sound and most importantly the feel. Words have power to wage wars and to establish peace. Words are the powerful tools to express our deepest emotions. Words have the ability to transcend time and space and take us beyond. Words have the ability to change its weight with every reader. Perhaps this was the logic behind the sale.

Over the years, I have been listening and reading about the writing styles of different writers. Some writers like Alexander McCall Smith write around 2000 words everyday without break while others like Harper Lee become immortal with just one book over lifetime. Some go with the flow of the words while others are stuck on a particular word for days. Different words have different ability to convey the thoughts and feelings of the writer to the reader. Though to a large extent, the vocabulary of any language is finite, the ways of expression in the language are in- finite.

One life is not enough to comprehend and experience the different shades of this complex world. But words have the magical ability to make us experience a life we have not lived ourselves. Words are the magic wand which gives us the breath- taking experience of other people’s lifetime in a moment.

Thanks to the ability of words, in a short period of time, we can be the ‘out- sider’ of Albert Camus or be in the open sea with the inspiring old man of Earnest Hemingway. We can experiment with truth with Gandhi or experience the horrors of apartheid with Nelson Mandela. Isn't it just amazing? We may miss these lives and lifetime experiences if we don't love words with all our hearts. Life is to be lived and it is to be lived well. Reading enriches life in more ways than we can imagine.

A place called Stanford upon Avon is just another place, but for the words of the great Shakespeare. And the magic of his words made the experience of visit to this place extraordinarily life enriching for a small town girl like me. The emotions are beyond words but the journey of reaching to that extraordinary emotion takes place only in the great company of words.

The understanding of the power of words gave rise to great leaders and great writers. Words not only empower us with knowledge but provide the touch of ro- mance, adventure, meaning and value to our routine lives.

Let the strength of wise words strengthen us in difficult times and show us the path to an enriched life.



Shobha Bhutada 
16th Jan 2018 
Porbandar