This is the third submission for the March Challenge hosted by Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran.
In my junior year of high school. my English teacher was Steve Elliott. He was creative, smart and a great communicator. He gave us many writing assignments and study time was limited at a military boarding school. On one assignment, maybe for lack of time and maybe something else I wrote a two paragraph paper. I was not comfortable due to length when I turned it in. When I got the paper back with a good grade, I thought short and sweet was the only way to go .
So the next assignment I wrote a one page double spaced typewritten (yes on a typewriter in the days long before computers and auto-correct). Big surprise with a not so good grade. My thought was why? Mr. Elliott said I failed to write what I was thinking in a way that the reader could clearly understand. What a wake-up call.
So I started to proofread my writings twice, once for typos (those of you who read my posts here regularly know I cannot type) and once for content. Many times the content fell short and needed to be rewritten for clarity.
In life, his message about writing so the reader could understand my thinking has done me well. People do not have to agree, and many times they do not, but as long as they understand the message.
I continue to try and practice being understood in my writings and speaking even in retirement. Some days continue to be good and some days not so good. For proof all you need to do is ask my wife.
So, thank you Mr. Elliott and thank you to Carol Williams and Margaret Rome for stirring my memory and causing me to write this submission.
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