I got to thinking about the power of words and the effect that they can truly have. Whether it's in written form as we do here within this forum, or the spoken word, which can be equally or even more powerful, words have an effect that can be lasting. As the saying goes "the pen is mightier than the sword", I will try to convey my thoughts here and relate it to the Star Wars universe.

In my life, I've come to realize that the things I say to people can and sometimes will have an everlasting effect. It's kind of like interacting with nature ... there can be good or bad consequences associated with the actions we take. Pollution, clear cutting of forests and so on will have a negative and lasting effect on the world ... it's harming the environment we live in. Harsh, negative words can have that same effect on our internal environment ... it pollutes our mind and can do damage that may seem irrepairable. And in some cases it is. Some words cannot be unsaid no matter how hard a person tries to make up for it.

And in the Star Wars world, I see lots of power in the things that are said. Palpatine gathered support under himself by using lots of words that rallied citizens and made them think he was right, that he was saving the galaxy. He claimed so fiercly that the Jedi had tried to kill him and that they were traitors and must be eliminated. His words spurned the galaxy on to its first ever Galactic Empire which in time would prove to be a polluting and negative enitity itself. And the fuel that fed the fire of the Empire was the power behind one word ... hate. Hate is a word that I do not like. I don't like the sound of it nor the harshness of its tone and implications. It is associated with negative feelings and negative thoughts. Now I'm not so naive or so sure of myself that I don't think there are things in this world I don't like, but I make an honest effort to not use the word hate in my daily goings-on. It just has such a strong negative effect in my opinion. And Palpatine, as a Sith Lord, used this word and this feeling it created to run his Empire.

And I think of Obi-Wan's and Anakin's fight on Mustafar. A lot of words were said to each other that they could never take back. And each, of course, were coming from their own point of view. Their relationship had degraded by that point that they were now sworn enemies ... when only a short time previous they were brothers and comrades on the same side. And what caused such a turn of events to happen? The words of one man to another. Palpatine used his cunning words to lure Anakin to the darkside, then used those feelings Anakin had to fuel a new rage ... a rage that would see Anakin self-destruct on Mustafar and throw out that word to Obi-Wan, his former brother: "I hate you". He screamed out those words to Obi-Wan as he succumbed to the furnace that was both Mustafar and the darkside ... creating the hateful and twisted Darth Vader.

But Obi-Wan still had kind words for Anakin. He told him that he loved him. In the heat of rage and anguish that Anakin was going through, Obi-Wan still used the word that is the complete opposite of hate ... love. A word that stirs feelings of joy, contentment and peace ... a word that truly connects a multitude of people, or just two people. A word that creates an envirnoment of goodness and harmony and life ... not pollution, resentment or an end. Not that Obi-Wan thought it would turn Anakin around right then and there, he just wanted to use a word that conveyed his true feelings and reveals his true self in the heat of battle. What other enemies would say that they have love for their opponent? Even though he said it in the past tense, the love he had for Anakin would not leave his heart. Perhaps he tried to train Luke with the hope that he could redeem Anakin, and not just bring down the Empire.

Words can indeed have a lasting effect. Anakin's and Obi-Wan's last words to each other resonated with both of them for the rest of their lives. Palpatine's words had a way of bringing people together, but for the wrong reasons and with a deadly outcome.

And when I speak to people, or even put my thoughts and words into written form, I try to think of the lasting effect. If they were the last words I had to say to somebody, for whatever reason, I would want them to be kind and thoughtful, and something worth remembering.