Word: Innocence
Definition: Freedom from guilt, moral wrong, or corruption; purity or lack of worldly experience.
Original Attempt (excerpt):
βIt had felt as if his life was ending and now it wasnβt anymore. He had finally been believed by the jury. His story had been proven to line up with the facts and all was well and good. He had insisted on being innocent, and now, everyone knew it to be true as well.β
Rewrite (embodied):
Innocence is not the verdict β it is the child before the verdicts of the world arrive with sticky fingers from eating berries in summer, believing the world is kind because no one has told you otherwise yet. Innocence is not relief after accusation β it is the absence of accusation in the first place.
Rewrite (visceral): Innocence feels like pure joy, untainted trust, freedom from guilt, profound wonder, lack of awareness of evil or worldly evil.
Gap: They equate innocence with being proven not guilty, which is about external judgment and technicality β not the essence of innocence. This is courtroom logic, not emotional resonance.
Expansion:
Question:
When was the last time you felt truly innocent β not just βnot guilty,β but untouched, unjudged, unburdened?
