Words form the thread on which we string our experiences.

Las palabras forman el hilo con el que tejemos nuestras experiencias. ALDOUS HUXLEY

The words we use shape our reality. They are the blueprint for our experiences.

Words are the clothing of our thoughts.

Words are clothes that thoughts wear

Words are the clothes thoughts wear.

Especially when you write, I think, you become cognizant of the little threads carrying us along everywhere, tying us together and linking us up.

When we are young, the words are scattered all around us. As they are assembled by experience, so also are we, sentence by sentence, until the story takes shape. (p268)

Among the most supported theories is that what is actually most useful about telling our secrets goes further than simple stress release; putting our experiences into words helps us begin to make sense of our thoughts and feelings. Remember, especially for children, secrets are often the product of moments when we say to ourselves, if we say anything at all, “There are no words. I don’t know what to do with that. I don’t know where to put that.” What does it mean, then, to take a feeling or an experience and, literally, “put it into words”? Words are labels and categories. They are boxes that organize the scattered contents of our minds. So when we talk about our experiences we are sorting them out, whether we intend to be or not, just by putting them into places where they might fit. We are able to say, “There are words. I do know what to do with that. I do know where to put that.” The very act of doing so makes our most confusing or disturbing experiences more organized and understandable, and it makes them less scary and upsetting as well. Like P. D. James said about the detective story, putting feelings into words can be a restoration of order.

All words are pegs to hang ideas upon.

Our perception of reality is also greatly influenced by our words. Words bring our thoughts and beliefs to life and help anchor them into our “realities” through repetition.

Words, words. They're all we have to go on.

this is the role of the writer. By telling stories, we weave a narrative thread that ties our experiences together. The aftermath of September 11th has been flooded with stories of heroic deeds, of mysteries, loss, and simple friendship. In other words, the full tapestry of the human experience. This is how we make sense of the world. Storytelling is the glue of civilization. ("Words That Heal, Words That Bind", 2001)

We must make language accountable to the truths of our experience.