Life is too short. We often neglect the fact that one day we will all die, that death is inevitable. There is no escaping it. We might be able to slow aging down with those anti-wrinkle creams and plastic surgery, but that is not natural. Not to sound too philosophical here, but don’t you feel like we have a purpose…a greater purpose on this planet, that we are not born to just die, that we are meant to live? To live a long, happy life, to make an impact on those around us, and perhaps to leave a legacy behind, those are some common goals we wish to accomplish. While these may seem like impossible tasks at first hand, they are actually attainable. It is then important to realize that we may not have forever to live but we do have our words, both oral and written, which immortalize us.

Words transmitted orally like the famous words of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”, a powerful speech that moved many hearts continue to enlighten the minds of scholars. In college, for instance, we often have to give oral presentations or speeches as part of the curriculum. While your classmates may not care what you think or say about an issue, you do care, because you wrote it and you delivered it to the best of your ability. While one speech may not be enough to sway their minds right away, it can potentially leave them wanting to hear more from you.

Our words do not just disappear like those Snapchat or Instagram stories; they are ingrained in our hearts and in our minds. You can easily record voice memos and vlogs, make them funny and boom, you are a star! While it may not exactly be as popular as those Vines videos, at least you made something that is noteworthy to share.

Written words like those found in textbooks (which can be boring at times) and books read for pleasure invite us to new dimensions. I am currently working on a fictional book, a romantic thriller, targeted towards mature audiences. I am proud to say that I have a good gist of how I want the plot to unravel. I had to brainstorm and think about how I want to portray my characters. Nonetheless, written words can have as much impact as ones spoken verbally. Remember that one English teacher who kept criticizing your paper, calling it “basic.” Yeah, me either. We sometimes make minute mistakes, but we can always learn from them.

The point is that no matter how long we have to live or how long we have left to live, our words, both written and spoken, make us immortal. Our words have the ability to affect those around us. We hold the power to play with words and use them to our own advantage. Conversations too never really die. I bet that at least one person out there has those screenshots of your messages saved.