I have always been fascinated by words. I guess it would make sense given that I grew up to be an avid reader and writer but for the longest time, it was the words themselves rather that how they are strung together that held me captivated.

For example how the word “man” has such a stark quality about it, not much to write home about given only 3 letters, and yet it encompasses so much. That the word “voluptuous” seemed for the longest time so risqué and yet had an earthy texture to it like freshly turned over soil, warm beneath ones toes in the noon day sun. Being bilingual meant that I was interacting with words from my native Luganda and English from a young age. Captivated doesn’t do it justice.

I used to believe that there were perfect words, a special breed of strung together letters that stood above the morass of tantalizing alternatives. Words like “family”, “love”, friendship” that held universal truths and yet seemed so unassuming on the page. Context seemingly the helium to their canvas, a blimp that floated high above in the rarefied air of excellent word choice.

I spent days finding and collecting words before gleefully splicing them together in an effort to hew together the perfect sentences. My hope being that the right number of perfect words, aligned together into a golden ratio of sorts, capable of lifting someone from any situation or igniting that inner flame that burns within most people.

Despite my best efforts, I could never crack the code and I abandoned my quest in frustration just before I headed off to high school. I contented myself instead with reading books and left the word alchemy to those who, seemingly, effortlessly took leaden words and embued them with golden nobility.

And then a few months ago I stumbled upon this video made about a speech by Stephen Fry and my love affair reignited all over again. I hope you enjoy it.