In 500 Words Or Less………

   These words still echo in my mind from my days in school some fifty or more years ago. In the ‘dark ages’ as my grandchildren refer to them, I did not truly understand why the essay could be no more than 500 words. Sometimes what I had to say was so important it might require more than 500 words. But in keeping with the assignments, we dutifully would sit there and count the number of words on the paper and if we went over the mark, that is the point where we would stop, even if it meant stopping in the middle of a sentence.

   Truthfully, sometimes I thought my summer vacation, a topic we seemed to write about endlessly year after year, was so exciting that it required more words. Describing my head  hanging over the toilet for hours because of the flu was surely worth at least 750 words, although now I don't think so. “What I Would Do If I Became President” was another popular subject, especially at election time. The title alone contained 8 words. Jason, the class comedian, always managed to fall well below the limited number of words. His essays on this topic always consisted of just one word. “Nothing.” By the way, he was elected to Congress a few years ago.

Once I became a teacher I understood why teachers usually limited the length of essays. One teacher, 25 students per class and six classes created enormous amounts of reading and correcting and if we expected to get the assignment back during the semester, it was important to work within the limits.

   The sophomore year in high school was a turning point for many of us. Our English teacher, Mr. Furst, told us that if we could not get our point across in 500 words or less, it probably was not worth saying or writing. (We always asked him how his last name could be Furst. He would explain it to us in detention after school.) The one lesson we took from his class was to be concise and to the point. We became believers. Sometimes less said could be better.

   Although on occasion I have strayed from the lesson taught by Mr. Furst, I still make every attempt to limit length and improve the quality of the message by using vocabulary that creates pictures in the mind. Often the best pictures are not really pictures at all but are the words we put together to tell a story.

   My intent with this column bith now and in the futue is to share a variety of topics and events and maybe even help you recall some of your own memories and experiences. I promise to accomplish this within the limits of 500 words or less, maybe. Now, in case there was any question, you will not see me sitting with paper and pencil, counting each word on the page. The computer does that for me now. Life  seems so much easier now.