V A O L H E T –eight letters that when standing alone are nothing more than the single sound the produced, however once combined they become very valuable.
Love and hate both composed of four-letter, but hold two very different meaning. They are perhaps two of the strongest words in the English language. However, as a society we have down played their value, making them less meaningful when spoken. Love used to be a word that was set above all others, now we use it for everything. We tell the checkout lady at our favorite coffee shop we “love her” when she makes our coffee just right, or the lady that lets us cut in line when we are in a rush. We even go as far as uttering the once esteemed phrase of “I love you” to random strangers when they do something for us. But truth is no, you do not love the girl at the coffee shop, nor do you truly love the random strange who returned you dog. Yes, you appreciate them but no, you do not love them. The same examples can be used for the word hate. You might be deeply upset at the girl who made you coffee incorrectly, or the stranger who cut you off when you where in a rush, but once again no, you do not hate them. For love and hate are such strong words, and should be reserved for the things and people who you sincerely feel that way about. When someone used to say, “I love you or I hate you” it would produce such a meaningful or hurtful effect on a person. Now it is just another string of words being used. It is as common as a “hello” or “good-bye,” making it all the more harder to decern if the person truly means it. And frankly I feel it would be safe to assume that the person saying it is not truly sure themselves. Are they saying it because it is how they feel or are they just saying it to say? Because what’s the harm in saying it now if the meaning is depleted? Society has stripped the significance from two words once reserved for two very opposite basing of a person importance to you. Since the meaning has been downplayed so has the emotional reaction. Leaving us with two four-letter words that now seems to mean nothing more than the letters they are composed of. Sure people will disagree, arguing that they still hold value to those who truly mean it. However, I still believe they are debased and will continue to be so until we revert to using them for their intended purpose. I personally refrain from using them for such frivolous objects and people whom I do not truly feel that way about. There are probably 13 things that I feel are great enough for the L word currently existing in my life, and even a lesser amount for the H word.
| I Love……… | I Hate …….. |
| 1.The Lord & His word. The Grace that he has blessed us with. | The lack of belief in the Lord that our society has produced. |
| 2. My family & a few close friends. My parents and many other important people for loving me unconditionally. | Cancer |
| 3.Sunrises & sunsets/ the stars. Sitting and staring at the sky is where I feel most at peace. | Lies, for if you really valued me you would respect me enough to tell me the truth, despite the hurt it may cause. |
| 4.Good music & books, finding words and lyrics the are relatable to the things you are unable to express yourself.(A person's taste in music and literature reveals a lot about a them.) | The idea of life without music books and of course art. |
| 5. Deep thought- provoking conversations. The knowing that someone might understand what is going on in your head if only for a moment. There is nothing better than a conversation that questions your preexisting ideas theories wtc. | Wasting time, for time is valuable. I’d prefer to allocate it in the best way possible. |
| 6. Art and the freedom to express my thoughts | Regret. Thinking what you would change IF only you could. |
| 7.The sound of rain and thunderstorms, along with the way the droplets run down the glass. | |
| 8. The season Autumn, and the feeling it produces, it is when I feel the most alive. | |
| 9. Late nights and long drives on back roads. The feeling that you are infinite, and time will stand still until the sun rises, leaving it all in the past. | |
| 10. Learning. Expanding your mind, finding your passions. Obtaining the feeling of accomplishment when you conquer a goal. Knowing you have done your best. | The feeling of knowing you can never have enough time to learn/see/do everything that you desire to. |
| 11. Gods beautiful creation, the mountain views, which extend across miles and miles of land. The views that put life in prospect. | |
| 12. Hope. For it is the most beautiful force in the world. | Hope. For it is also the most destructive force in the world. |
| 13.The happiness that radiates from a person when that are talking about something they are passionate about. | The realization that not all people and things are meant to stay in our lives forever…so my brain hates letting things go for all the memories remain. |
So that is the list of the things/people/feelings that I reserve for the two fading four letter words. (It can be noticed that some of my items are paired which each other, some items could be said to be contras, others are just closely related.) To quote the words of Poe
“All I have loved, I have loved alone.”
But perhaps it is best that way, for if we all loved and hated the same things what fun would that be? With everyone loving the coffee shop girl one day, than cursing her name the next day. I ‘d prefer not to be among those kind of “L” and “H” word users. So sure, the list of things that I truly love, are different from the “normal I love…. sleep, coffee, summer etc.” I am not downplaying the fondest that people can hold for those things, but next time before you say you love something thing about it. Do you truly, and if so why? What about it makes you love it or hate it? If you cannot answer that, more than liking you are just using the said word as another term to incorporate in your sentence. (Answering with well its tastes well or he/she made me mad is not a good enough reasons). So instead I challenge you, next time you are ready to use “L” or “H” word try theses instead.
Love: Like, adore, appreciate, grateful, fondness…..
Hate: Abhor, dislike, resent, execrate, loathe, detest……
The list is infinite, for the English language is packed full of beautiful words, beautiful words we should start incorporating in our vocabularies more often. Let's make Love and Hate those two stand part words again. Let’s start using them for the people/things that strictly matter. Stop debasing them, or undervaluing their meaning, because if we keep this up we are going to have to come up with two new four letter words to take their place. That society hasn’t allotted to almost every object/person, making the word feel flat and insincere when it is spoken. So I have my list and I encourage you to make yours, questioning others whom are advocates of the debasing of the “L and H” words. Frankly I would prefer to stop having random strangers tell me they love me, when I know they clearing do not.
So find the things and people you do love, the ones that make you feel alive, the ones that you know will be there for you the, the ones that try to understand you. Love the feelings that cannot be replicated from certain experiences …those are the things you should be saying that you love. Not the coffee girl. If you know you truly love those/things and people, express it, make it known, for as said time is valuable and fading fast. And as for the people you do not love but appreciate let them know too. Many people do not realize how much a person is worth until it is too late, do not let that happen to you.
And as for the “H” word, if you're going to hate things and people chose them wisely and with reason. And well if you hate me I suppose I must of done something to deserve it. Frankly, I would accept the hatred towards me as long as I am made aware of the reasons why. Assuming they are valid.
But either way:
Love me or hate me, both are in my favor.
If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart.
If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.“
