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

Readers of the Doctrine are aware of my on-going search for skill in this writing thing.  The history is a bit murky.

Suffice to say, at the present, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to get better. As is the case with nearly every class on every subject, except biology, students are sent from class with the directive to find ways to practice what they’ve learned.

And so, this post.

I had an adventure yesterday that made me laugh out-loud. While alone.

But first, the insight.

The Wakefield Doctrine describes three personality types: the Outsider, the Predator and the Herd Member. This blog is full of descriptions of the ways and styles of each of the three. For our purposes today, it might be helpful to use a semi-adverbial* characterization: clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel.

If you’re a clark, you are now thinking, “Yeah, but….” The thing is, this story is not about clarks thinking. This story is about clarks having fun. The way that demonstrates the character of the world of the Outsider and, hopefully offer a new appreciation for the humor this personality type experiences.
“Stop being so serious!” is something that clarks never stop hearing. Perhaps because we’re inside our heads such a large part of the day, clarks give the impression of being not happy-go-lucky, a bit on the dour side, and otherwise non-party animals. Be that as it may. Yesterday’s adventure is a good example of how ‘fun’ manifests in the world of an Outsider.

Our story begins with a tree.

Leaning against two adjacent trees like a high school kid with a fake ID, the tree seemed stable. Being the top half of a telephone-pole-sized pine tree, it’s final plunge to death, was interrupted by a forgiving  earth. Soft dirt and pine needles welcomed the broken trunk, blunted the force and instead of crashing to the ground, it was caught by two younger trees. At the proverbial forty-five degree angle.

So I (or the heroic woodsman**) went to the shed and found my ten foot extendable limb saw (the red and white thing to the right in the photo above) and my trusty pry bar (the green thing leaning against the middle of the tree like a paint roller in a adult education class for beginning oil painting. One would cut a notch in the middle of the tree trunk, the other was to help gravity to complete the job. (Note to those not familiar with tree cutting. Gravity is the genie in the bottle. A tree, whether standing tall, alive above the earth or laying on the ground, possesses force and power)

The saw was my Peloton. The pry bar, my Acme springboard.

(Part II tomorrow)

* almost a real word

** depending on POV. Leaning towards First Person, but the Third Person POV always offers such a variety of attributes, drives, desires and traits that makes for an engaging and endearing character. Lets take a vote.

Readers Choice!