It's Only Words by Liz Pacey

 

May 27 

It’s Only Words

Hello everyone. I’d like to begin with an apology and a big thank you to those of you who left me such lovely comments last month. I haven’t quite got the hang of blogging yet and I only found them when I started on this month’s piece…

So… I’ve been thinking a lot about words. And what wonderful things they are.  Our stock in trade. We are wordsmiths. As I wrote that magical word I suddenly felt a need to ask Google. After reading the following definition my head is so swollen (on behalf of all of us) I may not be able to get out of the door. Wow. Just Wow.

A wordsmith is someone who expertly crafts beautiful sentences and uses language in ways that move and resonate with readers and listeners.

A wordsmith excels in the art of playing with language to create beautifully written pieces. This term describes someone who can weave words into compelling stories, persuasive arguments, or powerful poetry, showcasing a deep understanding of how to use the perfect combination of words and phrases. Wordsmiths often have a profound impact on their readers, using their linguistic skills to evoke emotions, provoke thought, or simply entertain.

"Wordsmith." Vocabulary.com Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/wordsmith. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

But… words can also be pesky little things. How often do we get earworms that drive us to distraction? Or look at a perfectly normal everyday word on a page and be cast into the sloughs of despond because we’re not sure if we’ve spelt it right. Or it suddenly just wiggles itself into a gaggle of letters with no meaning at all…

How many times do we struggle to find that mot juste?  Now… why did I write mot juste when right word is more than adequate. I’m getting a bit carried away here. Complicating things unnecessarily. I’m either trying to convince you all that I’m a linguist (pas de tout, absolument pas… now WHERE did they come from…), or I’m just overcome with Eurovision fever (writing this on May 17^th).

I was dog walking round the park the other morning, happily singing away (don’t worry, it was very early and there was no one else there): ‘Words don’t come easy to me’. And at that moment in time that was indeed very true. In fact I’ve just had to google the rest of the lyrics because that was all that came.

On a more serious note I have just reluctantly left my U3A writing group. A wonderfully supportive and talented group of writers. Each month we were given a theme to work on ready for discussion at the next group.

Alas, the last couple of months the words just didn’t come easy. In fact they didn’t come full stop. The ideas sort of did… but those wriggling words wouldn’t be pinned down. I finally realised, and accepted, that I was trying to spread my word power too thinly. Something that should have been really stimulating and enjoyable was causing stress.

So… we’ve all experienced writers block, and I reckon none of us are fainthearted enough to be beaten by it for too long. But I think sometimes the lack of words can say something very important to us. We need to be realistic about the direction we’re going in. Be prepared to fine tune God’s calling to us. Take time to thank him for the gift he has given us. Take time. Just take time for Him.

You will rarely find Liz without a crochet hook, a pen and notebook, knitting needles or squeaky dog toy in her hands. Sometimes more than one of these at a time. English literature,  Theology and Ministry graduate. Former nurse, midwife and home visitor for the visually impaired. For many years a regular speaker at clubs, churches and groups, Covid and personal circumstances led to a break.  But…. She is back.