Month: July 2015 | the Wakefield Doctrine - Part 2 Month: July 2015 | the Wakefield Doctrine - Part 2

Sixtry Sentrences Sorries -the Wakefield Doctrine- it’s fun with words Day!

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

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Today, is a Six Sentence Story, a challenging and enjoyable writing thing that Friend of the Doctrine zoe (aka Ivy) throws most ever week!

The tree stood for as long as Jennifer could remember, it was there when she left her small town to attend college, it was there when she returned briefly, to take those few things that she could not bear to have strangers pick through and sell, and here it (still) stood.  As she approached, on this wintry day, she gave more care to her steps, as if the passing of time made her linger, not for fear of falling, but merely to delay. Pulling at her coat, producing what her late husband would refer to as ‘the self-hugging of the well-tailored woman’, she smiled, despite the discomfit that she felt.

The time has come to remember and let go” she thought, as she stepped carefully over the protruding roots, in a one woman minuet, around the base of the tree. It was only in the last quarter of her circuit that she saw, carved in the trunk, the passing of time causing the names, to be absorbed by the growth of the tree. Rather than being erased, the two pairs of initials had become part of the trunk and so, a part of the living tree.

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Wednesday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘this is like light stretching and calisthenics in the morning, ‘cept for one’s head, ya know?’

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

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I smiled to myself as I (made) the decision to write this Post. I’m surely one of the original, ‘blogs?! like who the hell cares to read about what I have for breakfast or the sublime beauty of my thoughts as I drive my car?‘, blog-dismissers. That was, of course, before a certain personality theory reached a point of development in my mind. When the ‘theory of clarks, scotts and rogers‘ became the Wakefield Doctrine.  (There must be special word for the person who turns 180 degrees in beliefs and expresses as much, (if not more), enthusiasm for a belief that was once denied. Probably something like ‘Damascus syndrome’ or such). In any event, with the Wakefield Doctrine needing to be explained, I started writing this blog.

…so, today’s Post? It is probably one of the oddest of the odd, (in this long series of oddities). I just thought that writing a Post would …do some good… for me. (Now, those experienced and learned Doctrine Readers, ‘out there’, just tipped forward in their chairs/looked up from the text they were sending/stuttered on the phone to their friend, (“hold on, I have to get back to you”)/and otherwise,  re-read that last statement. To these Readers I’ll simply say, ‘the Wakefield Doctrine is a unique, fun and oddly effective tool for self-improvement. With the Wakefield Doctrine as a guide/perspective/tool/game, a determined enough person can change those things that always resisted change and acquire those skills and abilities that have remained just out of reach in the past. As to the exact steps to self-improving oneself? The beauty of the Doctrine lies in the fact that it concerns itself with the very, most personal aspect of our lives, i.e. ‘how we relate ourselves to the world around us.’ It is this relationship that is important. Hell, it’s not important, it’s the world we all woke up to this morning. Whether you’re an Outsider (clark) or a Predator (scott) or a Herd Member (roger), you will relate yourself to the world around you today. And, for the benefit of new Readers, let me remind everyone that we did not say, ‘how we relate to the world’…. we said, ‘how we relate ourselves to the world’  big difference.

the second odd thing today, the video at the bottom of the Post. Maybe not so odd, simply that I had the melody in my head when I woke up this morning. Searched and found the video, which included the lyrics.  I read the notes below the version on youtube and someone commented that Brian May wrote the song about his dog. I liked that. Sure, I know!  it’s the internet and everything is true/everything is made-up/everything is a lie  but (true or not), that story now exists in my world and I like the idea that that is what this song is about. It made me think of Ola. How much she meant to me. And how, that,  that feeling, in and of itself, outweighs the sadness of her not being here today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSG_mZaogsc
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Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine- “…me and this turtle.”

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

"..ok so that's not a turtle, but at glance you might have thought that was me this morning."

“..ok so that’s not a turtle, but at glance you might have thought that was me this morning.”

…so I’m driving along a semi-rural road* this morning and up ahead in the road, I see this turtle. It’s, like, totally in the middle of the road, as in the lane marker. Not only is he/she in the middle of the road, apparently, he/she has decided to take a much needed rest. In the middle of the road.

…the mind (of a clark) is an amazing thing. In the space of time that between seeing the turtle, (about 100 feet ahead), and passing it on the left, the following went on in my mind:

  • ‘hey! that’s a turtle up ahead’
  • ‘I didn’t stop the last time I came across this situation’
  • …how many times have I come across this situation, that’s pretty odd, there was that one time in the Vineyard, must have been 5 or so… no you’re weren’t driving, lol’
  • ‘nobody coming, I’m gonna stop… it might make a difference, provided nobody comes along and hits my car or laughs at me’
  • ‘screw that I’m stopping’

I did stop the car, (in the lane of travel), ’cause there was no breakdown lane, this being a semi-rural road. I did run back, (I’d pulled over about 25 feet past my new reptilian friend.) I noticed that the turtle was about four inches wide and, maybe, six inches long. It immediately went into retreat-into-shell mode. Picked it up, carried to the side of the road, put it down and ran back to my car.

…I’ll surely have more insightful commentary on this morning’s encounter, but right now I have a pile of ‘non-turtle-related’ work on my desk and so, I need to stop at this point.

 

* meaning: houses along the road, but all set back from the road, in the woods, like an acre or more of land and genuine, put-there-by-manual-back-breaking-labor-not-because-it-looks-utterly-charming-but-because-they’re-trying-to-grow-food-so-the-seven-children-(who managed to survive childbirth)-could-eat-and-maybe-grow-to-be-more-than-5’2″-tall

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TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘gonna be late today, but don’t worry*’ (* yeah, I realize how metaphysically absurd that statement is)

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

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‘who said dogs don’t smile?’

1) all the gang at the 2 Mile Run presents, ‘Hurry up and Weight’ Gravity Challenge. This is actually a daily (with Sundays off…we’re not total heathens!) exercise in self…. something-ness. (I might say, ‘expanding the definition of my current worldview’  Kristi, if asked, ‘…just doing whats right, in the company of other good people’… or Val: ‘…it’s a good idea and it’s helpful’ or Lisa, pressed for what it is that she likes about the Gravity Challenge, ‘just that it helps to know that other people are encouraging each other by their  good attitudes‘  then again, our scottian cohorts (Christine and Joy and Alex)… would laugh and say, ‘hey! it’s fun…it helps… don’t make too big a deal of it!!’

2) Una and our ‘walks’  (it’s been suggested by some of my co-hostinae that I should be listing Una in her own standalone Item… I concur)

3) work… what a wonderful opportunity to seek to perceive and find ways to self-improve-myself! I mean, like, my being in a sales-based form of work, it’s pretty all much interpersonal qualities… not like being an expert mechanic (like Friend of the Doctrine Alex) or being Kindergarden Teaser like Dyanne… it’s pretty much ‘ok-clark-relate-to-your-clients-and-provide-outstanding-and-expert-service.

4) Phyllis and her sense of non-staid-adulthood (which is all the more outstanding a quality, her being a roger and all),  who has decided that what we really need is a treehouse! (photo below. she had the good sense to have our carpenter-guy, Tom, do the framing and such, but, Phyllis will be doing the siding/walls and all.)

treehouse construction

treehouse construction

5)  the Wakefield Doctrine, not just because it’s an incredibly useful perspective on the behavior of the people in my life, not just because it’s fun to know more about the other person, (than I have any right to know), it’s because it has led me here to the ‘sphere, (‘dragged me’ might be more accurate. If you’d of asked me, the week before the decision was made to write blog, what I thought about blogs and bloggers, I would have said something  like, “…who would care what I had for breakfast.” or “no one needs to hear my thoughts on the geopolitical crisis in Outer Hamburgia”.  Now, 5 years later, I will say in all sincerity, I wouldn’t spend my free time (not counting family and lawn-mowing and reading books time, of course), anywhere else.

6) It reminds me of the first Post I wrote. Like for a lot of people it was stressful. I worried about writing something worthwhile and I checked and double-checked the spelling and the grammar and all, mostly I appreciated the fact that when I hit ‘Publish’ there would be no turning back. The moment came and I hit ‘Publish’. I then leaned over and turned off the computer, got up, got in my car and drove around for an hour.  lol

7) New Secret Rule!!  New Secret Rule!!  If I haven’t been able finish all 10 items by 7:30 on Saturday, due to legitimate work, family responsibility or …well, because!‘ the SR 717.3 (subchapter 5) allows me to borrow the 3rd Item from the 5th TToT Post on the page with all the icons!

“3. These days, that thing I’m doing when they leave usually is something in the kitchen. I’ve been able to make real meals every night. I can plan and use what needs used in the fridge. I can look up new recipes and even try them out. I’ve also made dessert most nights, so the kids are happy, happy, happy.”

(rats! I couldn’t copy out the pitcha!  you need to go to ‘the coop’ and see what I mean)

8) I am totally thankful for the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules). If you’re will to work hard, use your imagination and be prepared to dance like John Travolta,  (or… or…. trying to think of famous female dancers, at least one famous for a particular dance sequence), then nothing bad will happen.

9) the Wakefield Doctrine Saturday Night Drive!! 8:00 to 8:45 EDT  call 1-218-339-0422 access code: 512103# and join for a live and lively discussion about all things Doctrine!

10) 1.3

Ten Things of Thankful
<a href=” https://summat2thinkon.wordpress.com/ten-things-of-thankful/ ” target=”_blank”><img src=” https://summat2thinkon.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/10thankful-banner.jpg?w=700?w=700″ alt=”Ten Things of Thankful” style=”border:none;” /></a>

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‘Seis historias de oraciones’ -the Wakefield Doctrine-

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

dva-volka-igrayutsya-zabavnye

The Wakefield Doctrine isn’t all work and study and learning and such. It is not! It can be fun. If you enjoy ‘people watching’… well, let me just say, the Wakefield Doctrine is ‘the Sibley Guide to Birds, the Michelin Guide, Roget’s Thesaurus* and ‘The Joke and It’s Relationship to the Unconscious’ rolled into one big, all purpose magazine-kind-of-thing. Seriously! With the perspective of the Wakefield Doctrine, you need never find yourself bored, as you sit in the airport terminal, or in the back of the class or at the cafeteria at work or… or waiting for the cashier to pay attention to the 16 items that you’ve placed on the moving belt, with the bar codes all pointing upwards.

Besides this kind of fun, because we have a blog for the Doctrine, we also have talented friends. And these friends do not only enjoy being creative, they have the writing skills to successfully pull-off things like writing challenges and prompts and such. zoe is one such friend. she has this thing, ‘Six Sentence Stories’. It’s a great idea and the people who participate each week, come up with the coolest little story-ettes.** In any event, I persist in my belief that if I associate with people who have the skills that I covet, I’ll be more likely to develop my own. And so, today, one more attempt at a ‘Six Sentence Story’.

They sat in the car, the engine running, the lights off. At 1:35 am in October, the world was quiet, as if intending to leave the couple alone with the time, to take the next step. The glow from the car’s radio, cast everything with a slightly blue tint, making the interior of his car seem like a display in a well-intended, but clearly under-funded museum.

You know this is the right thing to do, don’t you?” the question in her voice, meant to soften the decision, only increased the pain.

Sure, of course I do,” his words coming to rest on the dashboard, like a badly re-folded roadmap.

To himself, a last attempt to accept what must be, “I suppose I have to let her.

 

* Steven Wright joke:  “What’s another word for thesaurus?”

** not a real word

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