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

This is Saturday and, with any luck, you’re reading our TToT post.* This is, of course, the grat ‘hop created by Lizzi, carried on by Josie and now in the most capable and caring hands of Kristi. (And her band of co-hosts: Mimi, Lisa, Pat, Dyanne and yours truly.)

As a Grat blog**  the TToT offers experienced and new bloggers an opportunity to share the people, places and things that elicit the feeling of gratitude. And it does so with a variety of styles and approaches to the topic. For example, below is a list of things for which I am grateful.

1)  Phyllis

2) Una

3) the Wakefield Doctrine. I’m grateful for it, in part, because it provides me with alternate perspectives on life, the world and the people who make it up. The Doctrine offers three distinct ways to see the world as we travel through it. As the Predator does, always alert to danger and fun, reaction times more easily mistaken for instinct and enough confidence to sell Christmas cards in August.*** Or, as does the Herd Member, like the woman in the car ahead, slowing down to walking-speed before turning in to the parking lot at the Stop n Shop. This is not simply ‘three ways to look at things’. This is three distinct ways to experience the world. As do clarks, scotts and rogers. And, as any reasonably evolved person can tell you, the more perspective, the better. The Doctrine reminds us that it’s all about how we relate ourselves to the world around us. We have that choice.

4) the Hobbomock Chronicles  A serial story about the New England town of Hobbomock from it’s beginnings in 1665 down through the present day. Later in the weekend, Episode Nine will be out. Watch this space for a blue link. Better yet, go to the site and sign up to follow. That way you’ll get the link first!

5) this writing thing… ayiiee! Surely I could have picked another hobby/avocation/obsession less something than writing. Currently wrestling with the writing of the Hobbomock Chronicles. Don’t think I mentioned it last week,**** but I’ve pretty much decided I need to think of this as a series of stories/books. Those familiar with my writing know I have a penchant for following the story, as opposed to planning it. This is fun (and the only way I know), however, it lends itself to voluminous …err volumes. So, if what we’re currently reading is Book 1 of the Hobbomock Chronicles, I might have more success defining a character arc for our time-traveling real estate broker. In less than two hundred thousand words.(lol) The others, (the sleeping woman, Allyson Ross, Askuwheteau, Mayor Gardner will still be around when we return.)

6) work still permits me to wander about the countryside, drive by the ocean and try to project an aura of maturity and expertise in the buying and selling of real estate. (Item 3 above? What I just said about ‘work’? If you study the Wakefield Doctrine even a little, you’d totally have said, ‘Why to go, clark!’ And, with just a little more reading you’d be in a position to know that, when it comes to ‘success’ in the real estate business, the top producers: scottian females and rogerian males. Ever time.

7) the Winter this year! Although the true cost is surely higher than the people in the world apparently believe, for us in southern New England, this has been a winter without snow or excessive cold. nice (for me, probably not so nice for the high school class of 2036)

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE For anyone on the fence about participating in this here bloghop here. This is an opportunity to try it out, see if ya like it. Go ahead! A single Grat Item. Send it in down there in Comments and I’ll brush these words to the side and give you a set of quotes that’ll have you hearing your own voice every time you look at the screen.

9) something, something

10) Secret Rule 1.3 (from subchapter S; paragraphs: 43.sections a,r and 3): “…to even type Number 1 in an intended list of Items of Gratitude is something to be grateful for; this is not, however, that famous Wheat and Chessboard story. (Uh, Lizzi!! there’s a guy here trying to link 10¹⁰⁰⁰ Things of Thankful!! Whadda we tell ’em?”)

music (a note: funny thing about enjoying ‘live’ performances. I prefer non-professional almost always. No! wait. let me explain. It will shock no one out there that I don’t own a jacket with a sports team’s logo on the back, nor have I ever been heard to say, “I can’t wait until next season, we’ll (fill in the blank football, baseball, baskets ball team performed by athletes who are paid yearly salaries that exceed the amount of Medicaid going to the population of many small cities) show ’em!” That said, I smile when driving in my car and I turn to one of my college stations and realize it’s baseball season. This is not to say I don’t enjoy watching performance of sports or music at a highly skillful level. But non-professional has a certain charm. Especially the student announcers giving the play-by-play of a college baseball game. (You will never hear Phyllis say, “Clark? He’s in the den watching the Red Sox” This for two reasons: a) I don’t watch TV sports (‘ceptin maybe golf and a minute or two of bowling) and 2) we don’t have a den.

* maybe not ‘luck’ in the sense that your opportunity to read our post is akin to winning the lottery or getting the end piece at a dinner of prime beef, more it’s our luck that the world did not succeed in providing delays and excuses not to complete this week’s post on time.

** probably not a recognized category, but totally should be

*** a true example and evidence of my having a strong secondary scottian aspect… I was in 6th grade. Totally didn’t work. secondary scottian aspect, not predominant worldview,

**** no, seriously, ‘Way to write in the moment, clark!’ lol