Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Today we head over to the most excellent of bloghops, Finish the Sentence Friday. Hosted by Friend of the Doctrine, Kristi and (for this Week) Hillary Savoie.
“Can you say, ‘ello there Miz Kristi, Ms. Savoie? Sure you can.”
The way this bloghop works: participants are invited to complete the sentence, the fragment of which is provided. Each week a different sentence fragment. When (participants) complete the sentence, in the manner of their choice to whatever length they deem proper, they add them to the list of posts to be found at Kristi and Hillary’s blogs. That way all are available for reading, hence the term, bloghop.*
I will join the others and invite you all to join in this week’s ‘hop. It’s fun and it’s interesting and, if you’re into the stream of consciousness school of post writing as am I, you might be surprised at the post that sits on your screen and dares you to hit ‘Publish’.
The Sentence to be completed:
“When it comes to belonging…”
“…the concept tempts me to believe that I know how might a blind man or woman feel, surrounded by well-intentioned people earnestly describing Niagara Falls and with each new narration of the experience, I smile in their direction and nod at the descriptions and metaphors, analogy and examples.”
The above is my immediate ‘Finish’ Arguably that makes it the most honest completion of this week’s sentence. I do, however, have a second, perhaps more… fun Sentence completion. But first a little backstory and, hopefully sufficient context to make my post more…fun?
The above complete sentence is what I think about ‘belonging’. My perception of myself, (hey, all the rest of what follows is an elaboration of what those four words imply. Not so much that the words themselves explain anything as it the way I describe the process underlying my response), is that of an Outsider. For me, the world is ‘out there’ and I am here. (One of the ways to spot an Outsider, aka a clark in the Wakefield Doctrine system) is to say, ‘Every day I wake up and try to figure out what I’m going to have to do with the world out there.’ It’s been my experience that a lot of people do not make that distinction between themselves and reality. They tend to be the people who belong.
Now the follow-up Finish (of the Sentence):
“…the closest I come to belonging is when this topic comes up and I sense others, who hesitate and look around the group, quietly, un-noticeably before responding. At such times I believe I can see the rainbow in the mist at the edge of Niagara Falls, if only for a second.”
* sorta… I suspect the etymology is far more involved (and interesting) than my suggestion, seeing how no one actually ‘hops’, not that that’s possible, being a medium that does not permit direct physical interaction. ‘though, that being said, there is nothin in the rules that forbids participants from hopping, at least that I’m aware.
About clarkscottroger
Well duh there are no rules to keep anybody from “hopping,” participating, blind, seeing, or other when it comes to this or Niagara Falls, which OMG I want to see one day. The Outsider (the Clark) is moi, and you, and so many of us, but also we remember the moments of belonging, and long for them in a way that’s either hopeful or gross, or both, maybe.
yeah.. I know what you mean, but then we both knew that
(One of my favorite movies…)
As my prospective/now current boss said to me in my interview after me affirming how succinct my resume was…”what’s wrong with succinct?”
Excellent FTSF.
I do love that last quote. I really never looked at belonging and/or not belonging that way, but it probably is a fact that may people who may seem to us to be “belonging” at times feel as much of an outsider as we do.
That’s what I am getting from the quote anyway.
I may not get to see the rainbow in the mist, but I love Niagara Falls nonetheless. I belong there.
Have never been bet it’s amazing.
2 Things. 1) Reading your posts is often like reading poetry, I like the way the words go together as much as I like the intent of your message. 2) This post makes we ask myself, Is belonging what we feel? or how others include us? Hm.
I am going to spend my day thinking about this: “It’s been my experience that a lot of people do not make that distinction between themselves and reality. They tend to be the people who belong.” Thank you for your beautiful words.
Thank you, that is very kind of you to say.
A week late here!
But here.
I’ve always had the same perception of myself. And it’s funny because I’m one of five kids and each of us has, at times, felt like the outside of the family. In truth, it’s my older brother. Not me!
That feeling remains, though. Sometimes I wonder if all of us feel that way, and think that no one else does.
“…think that no one else does.” surely that beliefs is the power that maintains suffering and, paradoxically, it’s opposite (our favorite form of interpersonal dynamic, ‘identification (with another)’) is the key to end of that suffering and opens almost all the doors.
cool comment, yo