Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
A study in black, white and serenity.
Una sits on freshly fallen snow and lives her role in life, i.e. guardian and protector of the pack.
Her back is to the camera and so presents a hypo-hued outline of her primary characteristics: triangular ears to detect sound and, a furry apostrophe, bushy tail to signal all is well.
The first weekend of March.
Hell, that’s an Item in and of itself! (No, I’m serious! Go ahead, scroll down, past Una and Phyllis and a couple of something somethings…. Item 7 See? Told ya I’d do it.)
Where were we?
TToT… of course. Started by LL, hosted by Wendy for a few years and now in Kristi’s capable hands. Share and/or cite examples of people, places and things that have elicited a feeling of gratitude. Anything.
1) Una (The photo above is very much Una. She enjoys the simple things. Given the opportunity, she will sit and consider the surrounding woods. We have a backyard, but it is fenced from tree-to-tree, the better to discourage un-invited lifeforms. Although the deer jump the fence for fun and the rabbits, well they have two or three exits (gaps in the fencing) that when they’re in a grey hound racing mood, will head towards. (The photo below? At the gate where the fence intersects Ola’s grave. Thats the Finish Line.) It’s a good workout for Una and an affirmation of the primacy of life and staying in shape for the rabbit.
2) Phyllis Member in good-standing of the Briar Patch Guild. (‘course one has to wonder how difficult it was, at first, growing up in the briar patch)
3) the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) The BoSR/SBoR is a tool for reducing stress and enhancing the fun in writing blog posts. Check for yourself! (SR 3.25 sub chap. 4: “…[I]f you don’t want to get all locked up by writing properly, you don’t have to…(ibid. op.cit.)
4) Sunday Supplement
5) WIP ‘Almira’ excerpt of the Week. (Dr. Morgan is chief of medicine at St. Mary’s which serves the citizens of McPherson County, Kansas. It is located in Circe. Nurse Claire Griswold… well, she is someone…special):
“And, as our last stop, oh my, I mean the last place we will visit on today’s rounds, Ward C.”
Dr Thaddeus Morgan’s expression betrayed his enjoyment of the unintended witticism. He pushed through the double doors and was well into the Ward before he realizing he was alone. The charity ward appeared empty, ‘Of people’, he corrected himself, ‘these patients in the beds were… well, they were patients, not people’. The intern and the new nurse, who had been accompanying him on morning rounds, were nowhere to be seen.
“Well, I suppose they stopped to write notes of my diagnosis of terminal happiness for that boy in the children’s ward. Ward C has little to teach us. By the end of August there won’t be a patient left…”
“May I help you?”
Dr. Thaddeus Morgan was prone to spontaneous outbursts of emotion when surprised. His reaction at this moment, was anything but characteristic. He stood and stared at the tall blond nurse in the aisle that ran down the center of the ward. Her look in return was one of peaceful strength. Surprised that the words ‘peaceful strength’ would occur to him, he remained silent.
“I said, May I help you?“
There was something familiar about this woman. This observation had the effect of restoring the rightness of the world for Dr. Morgan. St. Mary’s was his, as he was the Chief of Medical Services and this woman, by her uniform, was a nurse.
“What is your name, young lady? Who is your Supervi..?”
His authority-establishing question hung in the air, as the intended object of his exertion of will was no longer standing in front of him. She was standing at the far end of the aisle. ‘And that’, he thought, ‘is not possible’.
Thaddeus’s first impulse was to demand she come back and resume her position in front of him. After all, he was the medical director, she surely would obey. Instead, while being certain to keep the tall woman in the center of his line of sight, he walked to her. He thought he heard a noise from the hallway outside Ward C, but for reasons he could not express, refused to take his eyes off the nurse as he covered the twenty feet to where she waited. ‘She’s waiting for me’.
He thought there was something important that he was forgetting, but it kept escaping his mind. “Sorry, I’m becoming forgetful in my old age. I neglected to introduce myself. I’m Doctor Morgan. And you are?”
Thad Morgan decided he liked this woman. She must be a new hire, although that made little sense, since he interviewed everyone hired at St Mary’s. Everyone. From the janitor to the newest surgeon, they all met with the Medical Director before being hired. And seeing this woman up close, he was certain he’d never met her. And yet, there was something familiar about her.
“I’m Nurse Claire Griswold. Now that we’re properly introduced, may I ask, again, what is it you want here?”
Thad smiled. Her disregard for status or rank was refreshing. He felt a responsibility to assert his authority. Even if he didn’t know this nurse, he was her superior and she would answer his question, “I was taking the intern and the newest nurse on rounds, for an initial orientation. I thought they were following me. It would appear they’ve lost their way; Not so surprising, here in the old wing.”
It dawned on Thad Morgan, with something of a shock, that he was babbling like a sixth-grade student trying to delay having to answer a question to which he should have had the answer. This Nurse Griswold was regarding him with a look that, had it been any other circumstance, would have caused him to stumbled over his words.
Her eyes were of a pale blue that brought to mind the wrapping paper of a present he received for his fifth birthday. It was a toy medical bag, complete with a stethoscope and a Diploma with his name on it. He remembered how his mother laughed when he put on the stethoscope and try to listen to heartbeats, of anyone nearby. His dog, Scout, was his most frequent patient.
“Do you enjoy being a physician?” Nurse Griswold asked, to the medical director’s unconscious relief, she remained standing where she was, when he last looked.
“Why I should certainly say so! I’m the Head of Medical Services! I’m in charge of all medicine here at St Mary’s.” Dr. Thaddeus Morgan spoke with a pride that made some men leaders and with a conviction that made others charismatic preachers.
“That’s not quite what I asked you, Thad.”
She was standing closer to him than he’d realized. Her eyes seemed to require all of his attention and though he’d noted that she was tall, he couldn’t understand how he felt like he was looking up into her eyes.
“Well, yes, I realize that. And no, you’re correct, I do enjoy my work…”
At that moment, there was a wobbling-whirling sound of gum-rubber wheels pushing through the swinging doors of Ward C. Ahead of the cart that contained mid-morning medications, was a young man and a young woman. Both looked somewhat sheepish.
“Dr. Morgan! We looked all over for you!” Sally Rowe spoke with relief in her voice. The young man beside her let her offer the explanations for their absence. Even as an intern, he recognized that sometimes it was best to allow the nurse to take responsibility. In case things did not work out as planned.
Dr Thaddeus Morgan caught himself turning back to Nurse Griswold, but, smiling, he said, “Well, let’s not dilly dally. The duty to heal waits for no one!”
As he led the intern and the new nurse out into the hall, he allowed himself one quick glance around the ward. It was as empty of people not lying in bed as he’d thought it would be.
6) Technology well…’cause this whole blogging thing? (Imagine the olden days of writing longhand. Though there are some rogers who insist they are much more creative doing it that way. Well, as creative as rogers can be*.)
7)…didn’t believe me huh?
Thomas: “No. Way.”
Jesus: “Way”
Johnny Depp-looking guy: “Dude!”
8) * The Wakefield Doctrine has something called, ‘The Everything Rule’. It states, rather succinctly, that ‘everyone does everything at one time or another’. What it means is that although there are three characteristic worldviews, i.e. personal realities, all three are full of the same things. The Doctrine holds that, while a thing, say ‘creativity’ is present in all three personality types, how it manifests differs according to the worldview. Creativity manifests in the world of the Herd Members (rogers) as novel and attractive re-assembling of parts and components. clarks (Outsiders), on the other hand, experience creativity as getting something from somewhere that has never before existed.
9) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE (For anyone out there on the fence. Like the idea of a grat ‘hop. Have almost enough for a post. Send it in and I’ll post it right here.)
10) Secret Rule 1.3
video
getting a little heavier this weekend…song stuck in my head and it is the epitome of modern giant-guitar music (c. ’80s)
