For several years, husband Dan was the HR manager for a four-star resort. At the end of summer and before the seasonal workers went back to school, we would take the group rafting down an eight-mile portion of the Nantahala River, a portion that ended in two fun Class III waterfalls.
The trip began with instructions from the rafting company with special emphasis concerning navigating the waterfalls: watch for the sign saying, “waterfall ahead”, stop at a beach you’ll see soon after the waterfall sign, and empty your raft of all water. Next, everyone in the raft picks a side and only paddles from that side. Approach the waterfalls paddling fast and straight and you’ll be fine. Remember. These. Words.
One summer, the rafting group included a mentally challenged boy I’ll call Fred. We put Fred in our raft. As recommended, before the waterfalls, we stopped to dump the water out of the raft. Dan looked Fred in the eyes and said, “ OK Fred, paddle on the right-hand side of the raft and no matter what, paddle fast on that side and don’t stop. Fred nodded in agreement. We approached the falls fast and straight until Fred froze, stuck his paddle into the water, and didn’t move. We went over the falls backwards. The raft takeout point was right after the falls, so with double-quick time, Dan and I maneuvered the raft back in order and made it to the takeout just in time. Words. Are. Important.
Sometimes I am surprised at the words that come out of my mouth. I once attended a very long in-service that continued while we were eating the sack lunches provided. We were supposed to take notes as we ate. Without a break all day and with the instructions relentlessly continuing, we were all exhausted. During the very last session, the instructor asked what time it was, and I blurted out, “It’s time to go.” I was horrified.
Words matter, and many stay with us. According to Harvard University, if we mindfully use positive words, those words can impact our brain, change the way we think, act, and respond to others. (Harvard Study reveals Hidden Impact of Spoken Words. Dr. Lorilet M. February 22, 2025.
Positive words bring positive results…it’s definitely worth considering. I’ll give that a go, especially the next time I go over a waterfall with a challenged person…”Fred, isn’t it going to be fun to go over the waterfalls straight and fast?” I’ll keep you posted.
Cindy Arp, teacher/librarian, retired from Knox County Schools. She and husband Dan live in Heiskell.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.
