When I was five, I discovered what words were all about.

Up until then, I was happy just writing down the names of things. One day, I realized that words were much more than letters in the correct order.

It was amazing how “Apple” summed up the redness, sweet taste, and shiny skin. Or how “Banana” did the same for the slippery yellow fruit.

Even as one-word spurts, writing was helping me understand the world. Words packaged complexities into understandable ideas. I had no idea why an Apple was sweet, but at least I knew what it was.

So, though if I didn’t fully grasp what things were all about, I knew enough to see what I could do with them. All thanks to words.