Killing me softly

Roberta Flack was, to me, one of the great performers of the 20th century, someone with such amazing emotional depth, a true rarity in our day and age. Who cannot be touched by "First time ever I saw your face", "You've got a friend" or "Killing me softly"? "Killing me softly" is particularly a song in point. But now when I think about the song, it brings a bit of a smile to my face - Davor and I driving from Bono to Paris via Chenonceau, listening to Radio Nostalgie, singing in our worst voices ever, cringing our faces and laughing our heads off.

But isn't it strange the effect words can have on us? When you really think about it, words are just a group of vowels and consonents grouped in syllables and phrases and sentences. Don't amount to much really. And yet, what joy and sadness they can bring, how they can make you laugh or "kill you softly", some words can even completely change your life. Roberta put the whole word effect phenomena across quite well:

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly, with his song

I have to say that it was fascinating travelling and listening to the different words and languages around us - the lilting French, the undeviating Czech, the highbrow British, the throaty Spanish, the melodious Welsh, the almost aria-like Italian. Each language so different and yet all with the same capability of bringing joy or sadness.

Yes, words, funny things they are, things that are very often underestimated. The pen is mightier than the sword they say, and I have to agree. I was told lately that my friend should be paid for having put up with me for 6 days in France, among other things. Talk about killing me softly! The Dalai lama once said "think fast, talk slow". How true. I think we all need to slow down a bit and think about what we say, despite this "get it done yesterday" world...because even though sticks and stones may break our bones, words have an even more profound effect on us...

Well, got nothing more to say for now, no more words left, expect the words of the language we all know and love, that of Mother Nature, in Quiberon, Bretagne, France...take your time and enjoy...