Month: January 2020 | the Wakefield Doctrine

‘The Tuesday What Would Be Monday’ -the Wakefield Doctrine’ (apologies to Kipling)

January 21, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

If I might borrow your eyes*

Never mind the allusions, (literary and psychological); today’s Post is simply me trying to hear my thoughts out in the world, as opposed to entirely inside my head. And writing a post is surprisingly close to the feeling of sitting around with friends having a non-outcome-oriented conversation. Funny thing this blogosphere.

As most of you know, I’ve started writing another serial story, ‘the Hobbomock Chronicles’. The plan is to post an Episode each week. Nothing unusual there.

I don’t, as of this moment, have a plot. While I’d love to be in a position to burst into the room, step to the table (that’s lit from hanging circular lamps), sweep the documents and map with little Monopoly-Figure ships carefully positioned here and there, off the table, boldly proclaiming, “Never mind that! Here is the Plan.” The lack of a clear story outline is not a matter of concern. Overly.

But, I’m thinking, ha!

(the Wakefield Doctrine does a number of things very well. Mostly it offers a perspective on the world and the people who make it up. But it is also possessed of a genius for short-little sayings that encapsulate the way-deep understanding of human nature. To wit: clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel.

Damn! with that phrase alone, any of us could wade ashore at some metaphorical desert island and totally transform the society and culture isolated from civilization for its entire existence. And… and! maybe even get a date with Maryanne!)

…Where were we?

The Hobbomock Chronicles. If this writing project were claiming to be a simple story, I probably wouldn’t need to discuss it. I’d target a climax-conflict-resolution and write my way towards it. (yeah, kinda like these posts). What passes for my writing technique is to find characters in interesting situations and try to become their friends. When successful, its just a matter of writing down everything they tell me. What has me concerned is the multi-timeline thing that seems to be shaping up.

Primary story: (born, btw, of a real open house sitting in a real summer house on a rainy day at the shore) Our protagonist finds himself in 1965. The formerly un-occupied and semi-abandoned grand victorian home is alive with people spending a summer’s day enjoying the last remnants of a predictable and good-if-you’re-not-poor-or-disenfranchised world as the decade passes the halfway point. Simple enough, right?

Secondary story: a ship founders off the southern New England coastline and a single survivor lives to be found by a hunting party of Narragansetts. The year is 1630s(ish) and Roger Williams is just setting up his clarklike experiment, establishing a colony that is open to anyone. (Major challenge: names! Haven’t found a resource for what kinds of names did these guys had, back then. Real names, not conquered indigenous people’s names). Gots to find a source of life-among-the-incumbent-people**** Having a lot of trouble in this part. And, although I have no need to become an actual expert, or even well-informed writer, I do have a need to learn enough not to jar the narrative. You know, ‘Sachem Esposito’ or the children played soccer around the summer campfire.’

Tertiary story: you know, time-travel stories are not all that uncommon, in fact, they’re approaching trope status. But what I don’t seem to recall are stories that deal with the time from which the time traveler leaves. And besides, you all know that, since colonial New England was nothing if it wasn’t all, cursed-bloodlines, dark family secret passed down through the generations, heaven. So naturally the story of the ship-wrecked woman has to connect to the time-traveling real estate broker.

ya know?

Thanks for the listen. This has helped.

*ewww… surely Shakespeare considered how it sounded out-loud when he wrote ‘...countryman, lend me your ears.’ But it’s still not as awkward as my variation. Guess thats what the talent thing is all about.**

** this line: Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Damn! Why did it occur to him to use that semi-reverse order at this line…***

*** is this guy comparing himself to Shakespeare!?!? Jeez, what kind of blog is this? But, since you brought it up, how did the Bard avoid sounding like Yoda?

**** yeah, minor rogerian expression lol

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: self-development, self-improvement, the Wakefield Doctrine, Understanding Human Behavior

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 19, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

Alas, nothing cleverly suggestive or subtly meaningful; some times a photo is just a photo*
*S.Freud (paraphrased, of course)

Here we are, ~~Saturday~~, Sunday already!

Trying to get an early(ish) start.

Funny thing about routines and traditions and such, the effort required to change, the established norm is totally proportional to the time we’ve spent doing a thing a certain way, Of course, its mostly a good thing, otherwise, how would we ever learn to write, ride a bike, or perform open heart surgery? The down side is when we decide to change something about ourselves outdated or otherwise no longer to our benefit, we tend to get all, ‘Wait! Weren’t we gonna stop with the meandering and such?”

At least the Dewey Decimal System hasn’t changed. lol the first three versions of this post had the list in reversed order. (Remember those cool, way long, wooden drawers with the pencil-lead-smudged cards?)

1) Una ↓ both are heading out for a summer walk

WARNING! Professional Hikers in an Achronologic Setting. Do Not Attempt this Today.

2) Phyllis ↑

3) the Wakefield Doctrine because without the Wakefield Doctrine, all I’d have would be cardboard boxes full of yellow-lined pads with words and theory. Thats so not the case here, now is it?

4) technology. well, duh!

5) Our new serial story, the Hobbomock Chronicles is up and running. This week: Episode Two. (I’ll suggest, if you enjoy the story, you should sign up to follow the blog (Hobbomock Chronicles) so you’ll get a notification (and, I think, a link back to it), whenever I add to the story. (I’m looking at you, Mimi. lol)

6) the internet: as the world biggest (and most convenient and comfortable) magazine and used bookstore …ever. the Hobbomock story is totally bringing that home to me. Being a clark I feel compelled to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible, about pre- and early colonial New England society and culture. damn! Thank god the Wakefield Doctrine provides for the fact that we, all of us, retain the potential, (strengths and weaknesses), of ‘the other two’; which, in my case, are my secondary scottian and tertiary rogerian aspects. Totally need to channel my inner Ken Burns… lol

7) Our host, Kristi. She totally deserves a Grat Item on this list. Especially here at the Doctrine, which, as discerning Readers have been over-heard, as they look down at their phones in trendy Soho coffee shops or maybe sitting two tables over from Melanie in a small cafe in Capetown or even, muttering at their tablet, as they ride the train through the remarkable city of Sinapore, hear Michelle saying in a very kindly tone, “Oh, that’s just they way they are there… they intend no offense.”

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE If there is a Reader out there, new to the blog, intrigued by the premise but intimidated by the thought of writing (and posting) an entire post, take heart! I’ve reserved this place for you. Your own private section in an otherwise relatively crowded venue. Write your Grat Item, send it in as a comment, tell us how to attribute it and viola! You’re in the ‘hop!

9) something, something

10) Secret Rule 1.3 One of the most practical of the admonitions and recommendations that fill the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules). As paragraph 2.1 [section 3.2] reminds us: “To be one step short of completing a list of people, places and things for which we are grateful, is, in and of itself, the air beneath our feet as we cross the finish line.”

Hey! Thanks, Kristi! (thereby reinforcing the upside-down theme… lol

music vid

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 16, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

This is the Six Sentence Story bloghop.

Denise is the host.

The rules are: write a story, employ the prompt word and the keep it to no more (and no less) than six sentences.

Prompt:

REACH

“Steady as she goes, helmsman, a broad-reach in this wind may put us in the lee of Conanicut before we need to lash you to the pedestal,” The ship’s master, behind and to the right of the wheel, spoke with the benign authority everyone hoped to hear on Judgement Day.

The dawning sun, smothered by the clouds jealously guarding the horizon, was an angry red, a baleful glow that gave lie to the desperate hope that the captain had dominion over anything beyond the gunnels; the heavy flapping of his greatcoat more a flag of surrender than one of victory.

The southerly winds chasing the brigantine from the open ocean, grew the ocean into rolling hills of greenish-gray; hissing as they broke behind the ship, like a runner well passed his reserves, the tops of the waves broke into avalanches of white foam.

“Captain, are you certain we’ll reach port before this storm catches us?” The woman placed her hand on the man’s forearm, much as a carpenter testing the joinery of a cabinet, assuring herself that he was an extension, albeit softer, of the timber and iron of the sailing ship. Her quiet voice was shaped from a power neither helmsman nor captain, blinded by gender imperative, were equipped to acknowledge in any more sophisticated a manner than to stare at her.

The master of the ship, jaw set as resolute as a priest walking past a bordello, struggling to understand the sudden certainty the sea was no match for this woman, sought safe harbor in her gaze; the wind built into a low roar and steady guttural clumps of the wooden sheaves slapping against the masts, served as counterpoint.

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: Six Sentence Story, the Wakefield Doctrine

Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘…while not really a ‘New Year Resolution’ nothing says we can’t leverage it that way’*

January 13, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

* this subtitle refers to the second big change to the Doctrine blog, since we showed up here in the blogosphere, all Sister Margaret**, with a free WordPress blog and a self-powering idea, back in 2009.

I’ll be getting a new ‘theme’. Theme, in this context, refers to the style, organization, look of the blog. How this joint appears to you, after you click on Wakefield Doctrine. The reason for the change is that, the current theme is from 2009. Back then, percentage of people going to blogs (and the internet in general) on they phones, was like, way small.

That has changed. As I choose to believe, a scary large percentage of people get here through their phones. And this current theme was not designed to be ‘adjustable’ , or whatever the term is for, ‘all this, but small enough to fit on a phone screen and still be readable’.

Here’s where I’d appreciate your help.***

My first inclination is to get the same thing, only updated. I actually said that to my computer geek, Dana. The response was, ‘sure, almost‘. There are themes a lot like this one, with a little difference. I defend my position to stay with the familiar by citing friends, “If it works, don’t fix it.”

There is another voice saying (ok, a bunch of voices, lol) ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to move with the times. Get out of that Ford Falcon and get something modern and less…. staid.****

Since this is the internet, lets take advantage of all the potential feedback available as a result of: “The teacher had to leave and told us to read the next chapter”/”The physician’s assistant said, ‘She’s running a little behind, won’t be much longer'”/”The guy in front of you was on the phone and missed the left-turn green light so now you have at least another whole cycle sitting at the wheel.”

and take a Poll!

Damn! the poll thing has changed (lol Jimmy? Please stand and give the class a definition of the word ‘irony’.)

What say you just weigh in down in the comment section. I do appreciate any input, feedback or whatever. Will keep you up to date on the developments.

** surely one of the most enjoyable byproducts of the writing thing is to be in a position to make reference to inhabitants of fictional worlds. And…and! to have more than one person reading get a quick visual of the reference. Like me saying… Hey! Captain Hook! doubt you didn’t get a flash of a pirate. Like that only not yet with as many readers.

*** yeah, to the students of the Doctrine, I know! But I will try to be open to anything I get that doesn’t support my established notions… the only condition is that it, (whatever theme), must allow me to post with thumbnails and photos, music videos and a ‘static’ section of the landing page to make it easier for a New Reader/visitor to go and find out what the hell those people are talking about.

**** polite term for ‘old, bordering on dowdy’

now for something, like totally back in the day (totally basic in writing lyrics, as a musician…damn!)

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: the Wakefield Doctrine

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 12, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

Not quite a year-in-review, nor a resolutions-for-the-coming-twelve-months. This week, in the spirit of CS Lewis’ great, grandniece (on Jack’s favorite aunt, Edith’s, side), L., we will list the active things in the world as we experience them. Because, and, fair warning, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to eschew my intro-philosphical side; which is unavoidable and inevitable, being a clark and all. The benefits of this perspective assures the Wakefield Doctrine of a position in the top three of any Grat List. (Not that we’re ranking the good things in our world, in these weekly reflections. Hell no! lol… but, …but! it would be hypo-humanistic of anyone to deny that ranking (of perceived qualities, both positive and negative) doesn’t shape the order, at very least, in which we place the people, places and things in our lifes.

Thanks to Kristi for maintaining this bloghop. It is not as easy as a good blog hostinae tends to make it look.

1) Una ↓

2) Phyllis (out of frame to the ← ) Even a non-caniphile will recognize the look in Una’s eyes. Trust, confidence and interest.

3) the Wakefield Doctrine

4) work: it not only allows me the flexibility of time so I can take videos and stills to use here, and on the new story; both are local features. It, (work), is of a nature that allows me to practice the principles of self-improving myself as the Wakefield Doctrine provides.

5) Yesterday, in an earlier draft, I started this Grat Item with ‘another serial story is threatening to start!’ As I did with ‘the Case of the Missing Starr‘, I’ve created a blog for posting the entries in the story, it’s called the Hobbomock Chronicles. Before going too much further, I looked to my scottian secondary aspect¹. So I created a page (in the Facebook) and asked everyone on my friends list to ‘Like’ it if they were up for another serial story. damn. got us some twelve or so responses. (Still being a clark, I was all, “Wow thats great!” (followed by) “Oh shit! What am I gonna do now?!” New Readers? Grat Item #3 up there should help make sense of all this. In any event, we gots ourselfs a new serial story about some interesting people in a little, New England(ish), town on the ocean. It should be fun! The link, at least this week, is the same as the bloglink itself. Here.

6) Ocean* ↓

7) Technology ↑ Seriously, how can we forget how how totally futuristic it is to be able to film something (on our ‘telephones’ no less! lol)

8) something something

9) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE. Anyone out there wanting to ‘try it out, a little, before committing to a full-on post’ here’s your opportunity. Give us your Grat Item (and whatever attribution you would) and before you can say Jack Robinson, you’re be in the TToT

10) Secret Rule 1.3 Because where in the world(s) would we be if we didn’t avail ourselves of Secret Rules?

1) the Wakefield Doctrine provides that, although we all live in one of the three characteristic realties, (that of the Outsider(clarks), the Predator(scotts) and the Herd Member(rogers)), we always have the potential, the access to, if you will, the worlds of ‘the other two’. And so, you will observe in some people (or yourself) times when you appear to have the qualities of the other two. The Doctrine refers to this as (our) secondary and tertiary aspects. To use myself as an example, I am a clark (predominant worldview of the Outsider) with a strong secondary scottian aspect and a mild tertiary rogerian aspect. I went ahead on facebook and said, to people I was not, at the moment, directly in touch with and said, “HEY! Over here!” lol

ya know?

* technically, you’re looking at the waters of Rhode Island Sound

music