Write the Vision and Make It Plain

By: Marcus Mason
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 8, No. 1
Date: January-February 2003

Summary: In his speech at the NWP Annual Meeting, Marcus Mason explores the meaning of vision. He describes his rocky journey from writing failure to writing success, with the help of God and some writing project teachers...

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and I will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what shall I answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

—Habakkuk 2:1-3, King James Bible

Vision is rooted in reality and then figures in the exponential factor of God-at-work which leads to supernatural results . . . It is specific, people oriented, and positively embraces the future.

—From 8 Habits of an Effective Youth Worker by Tim Smith

My objective is to articulate the meaning of writing, demonstrate the uplifting human elements of writing, and inspire the listener to embrace the revolutionary life-changing aspects of the writing process.

Vision is specific. It is goal-oriented and undeniably tenacious. Vision investigates and delineates what is currently practiced and seeks to tweak it to produce qualitative results. Vision personified walks in the Spirit of Excellence, aggravates the status quo, and frustrates any attempt to perpetuate mediocre performance. A visionary is one that understands the new No Child Left Behind Act.

Write the vision . . .

I failed and I failed more than once. As I write this, I give the ending or conclusion before I provide the story. The conclusion is this: I'm here and I'm still writing.

I failed English IV my senior year of high school. I was uncomfortable but accepting of the "F" letter grade on my final report card. No matter how much I wanted to rid myself of this scarlet letter, I had to accept it. I failed.

I took the summer off and began taking classes at the Community College the following fall semester. I decided to push past my unfavorable experience and register for an English 101 course. The syllabus was distributed, I blended in with the other students and set my heart on becoming the first male in my family to graduate from college. Upon completing my first writing assignment, I was reluctant to turn it in, but I did. During the next week of class, I learned of the "professor's discrete paper return."

You have probably observed this technique or used it yourself. The professor reads your name aloud, identifies and locates your seat and walks toward you. He places a thumb at the bottom of the center of the paper, curling it with the four fingers to hide the notation that indicates success or failure on the assignment. What sealed this moment in my mind was my professor's pseudo-whispered comment, "See me after class. You need help."

I write the conclusion before I write the story. I'm here and I'm still writing.

I completed my core course work at the Community College and matriculated into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Again, I was faced with the obligation of fulfilling the University's English requirement. I shopped the catalog for the "easiest" professors only to realize that course work in higher education differentiates the boys from the men and the girls from the women. I was a man, and it was time for me to put away childish things.

I enrolled in a remedial writing course, English A. This course was the beginning of my career as a writer. My instructor's name was Tracy Church-Guzzio. I was introduced to the writing process while enrolled in her course. I passed the class. I took two more English courses and met Dr. Unrue. I even enrolled in a course titled, "Critical Analysis of Shakespeare."

I write the conclusion before I write the story. I'm here and I'm still writing.

I successfully passed all of my English course work with the support of my wife. What I did not know at the time was that all of my university professors were writing project fellows. I felt comfortable writing but I didn't feel confident. My feelings were confirmed when I failed the P.P.S.T. writing test. (Pre-Professional Skills Test—This is a test pre-service teachers take to enroll in a teacher credential program.) I failed the writing portion not once, but twice, each time by one point. This was devastating to me. Not because I failed; it was because I failed and I had a wife that believed in me and a daughter depending on me to provide for them.

I decided to consult and appeal to a higher authority. I practiced and I prayed. I asked God to help me fulfill my destiny. Teaching is more than a career for me. It is my inheritance. I was created to teach. I was brought up believing Moses parted the Red Sea, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, David slew Goliath, Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed the sick and raised the dead. All I wanted was to pass this standardized test. I needed a miracle.

While praying, the Spirit of the Lord provided a prompt. The prompt was a simplistic prayer. He instructed me to write an essay. In the first paragraph, I was to honor and praise him for all of his blessings. In the second paragraph, I was to explain my situation. In the third paragraph, I was to tell him what I wanted from him, which was to pass the writing portion of the P.P.S.T. The concluding paragraph was constructed to simply thank him for answering my prayer.

I write the conclusion before I write the story. I'm here and I'm still writing.

After teaching a couple of years, I received an invitation from the Southern Nevada Writing Project under the direction of Dr. Marilyn McKinney and Rosemary Holmes-Gull. I took the lessons I learned in the institute to my at-risk students who now respond to writing prompts with paragraphs.

Compounding this is the information I've received while attending Project Outreach Network Conferences. Access, Relevance, and Diversity are brought into dramatic relief.

Teachers and delegates, write the vision. Though it tarry, wait for it. When you teach writing, think of my story. When you teach a child to write, you provide that child access to diverse and immeasurable unequivocal outcomes. Write the vision.

Access is defined as a violent expression of emotion; or a means or right of entering.
Diversity is the quality or state of being composed of different parts, elements, or individuals.

The National Writing Project has embraced the definition of access and diversity. Yet, there is still work to be done.

Relevance is defined as the quality of being appropriate or valuable to some end.

With this in mind, I ask you to ponder my question: Is the work of the National Writing Project relevant?

I can't answer that question, but I'm thankful for those unknown Writing Project fellows rehearsing the techniques that redeemed me from becoming another casualty of the prison system.

Is the work of the National Writing Project relevant?

I can't answer that question, but looking at the recent success I've had on several written examinations, I'm getting closer to an answer.

Is the work of the Nation Writing Project relevant?

I can't answer that question, but I do know the ninety fifth grade students at Fitzgerald Elementary School in North Las Vegas, Nevada are writing more.

I know my seven-year-old daughter keeps a journal now.

I know I will complete my course work for my Master's in Educational Leadership in May of 2003.

I know somewhere in my near future, there is a doctoral dissertation on the horizon; not just for me, but my wife also, which we hope will inspire our daughter to follow suit.

Is the work of the Nation Writing Project relevant? 

I can resolutely say, I was made for this moment! I'm here and I'm still writing!

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

I'm here and I'm still writing. Thank you.

Teacher Motivated by a Sense of Mission
By Art Peterson (The Voice, 2001)

Be Safe
by Kathleen O'Shaughnessy

My Third Speech for NWP
by Lynn Jacobs

Writing As If Your Life Depended On It
Diane Waff