I have given considerable thought lately to the concept of brevity and my ability to communicate more precisely, not only in my written messages but in each of the communication tools I utilize. While many have responded in a positive manner to my messages, I have individuals (my wife, for instance) who, while complimenting my writing, have made comments regarding the length of several of my more recent writings. As a former Creative Writing instructor, I always emphasized to my students the need to get their message across as concisely as possible; why use 300 words to say something when 150 will communicate the same message?
Beginning with this message, I plan to examine how I can better communicate a warm and inviting message to you, my readers, in half as many words as I now employ. As George Burns is quoted as saying, “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending and to have the two as close together as possible.” In future Mayor’s Messages, I will work diligently in presenting a “good sermon” that, while more concise, provides you with the same quality of writing that many of you have enjoyed. Who knows, maybe some of my detractors, like my wife, will find themselves reading my entire message.