Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked part-time as a teaching artist–an artist who visits schools and works with the students there to create their own art. It’s rewarding work, and, as an added bonus, after your first year, your immune system will transform from a hall monitor into Cerberus, the multi-headed guard dog of the Underworld. And why shouldn’t it? Kids love dogs.

Recently, students that I’d worked with had gone to see a play that was very much about the power of words, so, to further demonstrate the power of words, I arranged to demonstrate the adage “You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.” I did this by first asking unsuspecting students to apply toothpaste from tubes to pieces of paper; I then asked them to put the toothpaste back into the tubes. Message received.

Because of what happens in the play that that they had seen, most of the conversations following the demonstrations related to the potential harm that can come from words. But, of course, just like toothpaste, a lot of good can come from words, too.

The other week, someone took the time to write a positive review for the boom toob podcast “The Gone Show,” and, while that alone would have been enough to make me happier than I have a right to be, this review is also special because it is the first review of its kind to come from someone who I do not know. If I relayed just how many times I looked at it and read it, I would embarrass myself, but I couldn’t help it–this considered and positive review left me feeling empowered, uplifted, vindicated–it made me feel really, really good about all of my hard work!

For better or worse, bliss is uncommon, and that bliss of mine was caused by just 30 words. I don’t know the person who wrote them, and this person has never met me, but this person’s words alone gave me a spring in my step that lasted for days, and, I suppose, my words, delivered through the podcast, offered enjoyment enough for this person to take the time to share that joy with others. This individual and I are connected by nothing more than words, and, by that alone, we appear to have formed a great relationship.

Toothpaste really can help to give you a great smile.

By Bannon Backhus