Saying My Magic Word by Mario Kersey

When Billy Batson, a boy, gets in a jam, he utters the magic word Shazam! and is instantly struck by a bolt of lightning which transforms him into the mighty muscled Captain Marvel.

I wish I had a magic word to give me an instant six-pack and a cool costume.  However, as a teacher-writer, I do have my one little word which gets me out of a writing jam: Grandma. Remembering my grandma, Martha L. Thomas, keeps me inspired when life appears to ready to thwart me from carving out time to write.

The life of a teacher-writer (I call myself a writer-teacher) can be daunting when teaching high schoolers.  The other duties and responsibilities of a teacher can crowd out other thoughts.  Much like Billy, I whisper “grandma”, and I am in that proverbial happy place.  It takes me back to those humid summer evenings under Uncle Oscar’s pecan tree telling stories to grandma.  Before I ever met Aristotle, grandma unknowingly taught me story structure and how to keep the pages turning by asking “then what took place?”  Today, if I’m stuck on a project or attempting to begin one, I say my magic word, and I begin writing.

Also, I realize the word puts my inner critic on mute for a while. I think by tapping into those memories my childhood with Grandma makes me slightly more insouciant about time deaf to my inner critic’s dirty taunts. Thank you, Grandma.


Mario Kersey currently teaches Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and British literature.  He finds time between the ticks of the clock to write poetry and micro plays. He can be found on Twitter as @syntaxpaladin.

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