The power of the word seems to be a hot topic of conversation in many parts of our communities these days. Is this a pandemic or a recalibration? Is that a weed or a medicinal herb? Is that trash or treasure?
It seems that context is key. Happening upon an upholstered chair, however funky, on the roadside brings up the question of pets, unwanted bugs and durability. Can anything free really have good value, we might ask?
Garage-sale-goers and thrift-store fashionistas know there is nearly always an absolute steal of a deal to be found with a little patience, though. Even if items are not presented in a storefront window or an online ad shot in flattering light, they just might be an amazing find.
The very language we use appears to inform the value we attribute to goods. So-called invasive species are waging war of some kind on our territory, and need to be eradicated at all costs. True, some unwanted plants are too efficient at outcompeting and choking out native and other loved species. Still, though, there is something to be said for the direction language takes us.
Are we instead in the face of a material for weaving, like willow, ivy, or with medicinal qualities like knotweed?
To get a little more esoteric, yet still backed by science, author Masaru Emoto discovered that simply chanting a particular word over water affects the way its crystals form when frozen. His book, Hidden Messages in Water, records the mesmerizing truth of how words are potent and matter on many levels.
Next time you approach your garbage, weed your yard, or head out to buy something, ask if it is really trash, an unwanted weed, or something that could be found secondhand instead.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
