Melissa Archer

Writer Director Actress - All the Things

Melissa Archer is an actress, writer, producer, vanlifer, and offers a line of apparel and accessories.

The Tongue

My mind danced around many things this morning, but kept navigating to one topic over and over, so now I’m sharing with you.

The tongue. A fascinating organ. So many functions for such a small part. It is vital for chewing and swallowing. It lets us know when something enters our mouth if it’s good or bad, sweet or sour, dry or moist. The tongue is sensitive and is used in conjunction with the lips for kissing causing a release of oxytocin and dopamine into the brain, giving the cuddly feel good bonding feelings we get. The tongue is key in most communication. It can produce more than 96 words per minute. We use words to communicate the good and the bad. -Death and life are in the power of the tongue- What does that mean? I thought -Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.- Let’s break it down.

-Words will never hurt me.- If you were to go back into the innocence from which you came. If you were to look at life through a child’s lens. Would cruel and hateful words hurt you? Yes they would. Now you are told, words will not hurt you, fight back, toughen up. So the innocence is chipped away and you learn to dissociate ever so slightly. Maybe it happens again, and you still feel so you dissociate again. Now you’re an adult. You’re dissociated not just from painful words, but from your heart. It longs for love, but you can’t allow it to be hurt so you don’t know how to love or accept love. Maybe now you only associate love with hurtful words. How painful and lonely you must feel. Now remember that feeling the next time you speak to someone. Even if they threw the first punch. Remember the child who received it all because they were so open and loving and remember the adult who created layers of protection thinking it would prevent pain, yet pain is just now part of their normal. Remember that when you open your mouth. Think about the next word that forms on your tongue. Will you choose life? Just one act of choosing life could start the change in someone else choosing to do the same.