Day 873: 5 Minute Freewrite: Wednesday - Prompt: words

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Words. They have the power to build up, and the ability to destroy. Yet, for Colton, words were just an avenue to get what he wanted. He used words to put people in their place, control the crowd, glean the response he wanted from them, even calm their fears. And, in dire situations, even stoke anxiety by planting uncertainty and doubt.

Yes, he’d started as an intern, but because of his words, he had risen in rank, seemingly out of nowhere. Words—the currency for his success.

If he would have stopped to listen for a moment, he would have realized that in all he spoke throughout the day, there was responsibility in every single word. A responsibility that he often wasted.

With every word he offered for the occasion, they became a way to convince him of his worth. Because for Colton, words said to him were quite formative. Destructively formative. More than he allowed himself to realize. Ringing in his ears were the angry words of “Why can’t you do anything right?” as a kid. Whether it was from his dad, or from another adult in his life.

Behind the veneer of words were wounds seemingly forgotten. Unrecognized definition, ready to be discovered with the next twist in Colton’s life.