Word Shakers & Earth Quakers. ( Julia Makes a Promise )

So, here's the deal-io.

I feel it's only fair to warn you before you get too comfortable, that if you're the type who likes to read something all the way through, this may be an ideal time to go grab your chips, dip, and beanie bags

My bookworm bones are a' aching and i can feel a doosie brewing in the wind.

This, to say the least, is a post, on a blog, by a girl who likes to read, and has just finished her latest book.

To say the least.

The truth of the matter is this : this book has changed my life.






















http://rachelbateman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-book-thief.jpg

THE BOOK THIEF.
 Markus Szusak 

I know that this book has gotten tons and TONS of attention. It was Numero Uno on the New York Times Best Seller List, and got rave reviews from pretty much every big newspaper and magazine that there is.
Rightfully so.
It is, if i may say so, THE SHIZZLE.
And that's really the highest honor i can bestow upon it.


Truthfully though, I struggle to find the right words to make it float.
I realize that makes little sense, but it is how i feel.
Anything without heart, and any words you may grasp at that do not have honesty growing within every inch of them simply do not belong in the same post, blog, conversation, or even UNIVERSE as The Book Thief.

The book takes place in Nazi Germany, during a time where Death is like an infectious disease, latching on to the souls of millions, seeping terror into their minds, and clogging their conscience. It records the life of Leisel Meminger, a young girl who, like so many others during that time, has her world sent spinning with conflict, grief, and fear, all while facing the trials and tribulations of growing up.

As previously stated, this book changed.my.life.
But not in the way we're, I think, used to as a society.
It did not demand anything of you. It didn't beat your conscience over the head until guilt was pouring out your eyes,ears, and nose.  Like passing old friends outside their porch on a warm summer's evening, it was open to you to partake, but required nothing more than a nod of the head for good will.  Rather, the words of The Book Thief strolled into my mind with ease. They sat down upon my brain cells, had a smoke, maybe whistled some tunes, and waited patiently, contently, for me to stumble upon them.

 This book left me with much to contemplate.  It reminded me of a woven blanket, with thread after thread after thread knotted, and criss-crossed, all of it interwoven within itself. It was beautiful to look at as a whole, and you could see the artistry there, even just on the surface. Then beneath that, still with just the naked eye, there was a plethora of patterns to be unveiled, and they all seemed to flow smoothly. The words in this book breathed. They had life. There was nothing stale or fake or plastered about them. You could tell, every single page, sentence, word, and letter was all from deep inside the soul.
Continuing with the blanket metaphor, this is where most people need to get out their magnifying glass, to peel off yet another layer in the parfait that is The Book Thief ( Its now a blanket parfait. I knew i could get food in there somehow ), and see the strands that make up each  level.
As you can see , this is not the type of book that ends up nestled in your lap as sounds of slumber escape from your lips and you take a quick nap.
Not at all.

Yet through all of that, through all of the meaning, and the soul-searching, one thing stood out the most.
And it was this:

Words.
        Are.
             Powerful.

 Heck, Hitler built an army, turned a civilized nation into a cult, and ostracized an entire people all with words.
He induced hatred .
                With words.
He spread fear.
                 With words.
 Yes, he killed people with gas chambers, and death camps, and starvation, and fire.
But he also killed them with words.


Let's be honest; he was a master craftsmen. One of the finest of his trade. He bent, shaped, and manipulated the words to do his bidding, then whispered them into the ears of the German people.

It seems fitting , really, to have so many books written about a dictator who's right hand man, and biggest weapon was the very thing that makes up books: ( have i said it enough yet?) words.

But are words to be feared because of this?
Or perhaps not words, but yielders of words , and word shakers?

After all, they sure tore apart the world's of countless humans during the Holocaust.

But i believe they can also heal.

A LIST OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF WORD POWER
They can sting.
And they can sear.
They can lift you up.
Or tear your every fiber aprt.
They can convince you to hate, or help you to love.
Words can  inspire you to save.
And they can save you.
They can also turn you into a mind-numbed jew hater hitler follower.
Words can breed fear.
And they can give you that feeling.
You know the one where you think your stomach just dropped to your knees.
Either that or it crawled out your chest.
Words can make you cry.
Laugh.
Seethe.
Smile.
and Hope.


I use them so much.
Most of us do.
 And i have to say, I am fully aware ( or atleast aware to some level) of their capacity, and their magic.
Words have healed me, inspired me, changed my life.. and made me who I am.

But they can be dangerous.
It's true.

So here's what I, not only propose, but also promise to myself.

To never
ever
ever
ever
EVER
( I think you get the jist )
 write a lie.
or rather, to never knowingly write something that is, or that i perceive to be, anything but the truth. 
UNLESS.
I have to do it in order to save a life.
( I had to add it. I take my oaths seriously)

I, Julia Lemons, do solemnly swear.

I want my writing to always come from my soul. And there are no lies in there. I will keep that place pure forever.

It's a daunting task to be sure. And while i promise it to myself, and propose it to all of you, I certainly don't insist on it. ( How can i really? I'm here, at my end of the world wide web, and your over there at yours. )
But i really, truly, and honestly  hope that you never ever ever EVER EVER  ( you got it)  forget the value of words. 

Yours Truly,
Julia Lemons


"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."
                                                    -Buddha