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

Following is the Wakefield Doctrine’s contribution to the seven-years-and-running gratitude bloghop, Ten Things of Thankful (aka TToT). As the name implies, the theme is gratitude. A new Reader can be forgiven for asking, “The ‘sphere is full of bloghops, what’s so special about your bloghop?” One word: the variety of participants and their skillful sharing of the experience of gratitude in their respective lives. It’s called (the) Ten Things…. because tradition has maintained that, whenever possible, there should be a list of ten things. Key word: ‘possible’. Occasionally one finds a post of ten things more challenging than other times. Not a problem. (And this is where the TToT distinguishes itself from other grat blogs), some weeks we might have a Seven Things of Thankful post. The genius of the TToT lives in the non-judgmental atmosphere that Kristi and other hosts maintain here, in these pages, each and every weekend.

So, before you get to reading the collection of TToT posts, why not write your own and link it up. Odds are you’re a blogger and surely there’s nothing the owner of blog doesn’t love more than writing blog posts. Unless it’s reading comments on their blog posts. So, come on down.

(Insider Tip: You’re thinking, “Heck it sounds like fun. But those other posts, well, they’re awfully heartfelt, organized and well-written. Might not fit in.” All ya gots to do is write something to the effect of ‘the things I am thankful for this week’. You’ll be fine.)

...the things I’ve felt thankful for include:

Here we are, in Autumn³, the seasons sliding down the calendar like grape jelly on a warm day. You want to see time fly?⁴ Starting in a couple of days, you will see the truly dark side of Time. I believe it was in an Episode of the Hobbomock Chronicles that someone said, “Time is the worm in the apple from the Garden of Eden.”⁵

What?!!  This keyboard’s on!?! Damn!!

….err hi.

this is the Ten Things of Thankful bloghop. Kristi is our host and she invites one and all to join in a sharing of the people, places and things that incite us to experience gratitude. No other criteria, no statue of limitations⁶ no stylistic conventions, academic rigor standards or even a provenance for what we cite.

3) With the passing of the Solstice last weekend, the nighttime darkness begins to awake, a grizzly bear, heretofore out of sight/out of mind (at least for the previous few months… a total rough beast (as Blake might say).

4) there is surely a cool word for the experience of time passing faster (or slower) than normal…if anyone knows it, let us know! What we totally know is that the summer, having reached this point, will beginto pass way more quickly than we want or, for that matter, (having endured the winter) deserve.

5) Episode 15 (from the Hobbomock Chronicles)

When the Great Spirit decided to create the world, he invited the lesser gods to help decide what should be in it.

Each, for their own reasons, agreed that Coyote should not be included. Without exception, they all had at least one experience validating his reputation for being the god of mischief.

Nothing was overlooked, or so they thought. During this Creation Day, beasts that made the leaves shiver on the trees at their passing and creatures as tiny as could be, all arose from the earth. The weather, with its wind and rain, snow and ice, were part of the gods’ handiwork. Yet, after returning to the heavens to observe their efforts, that now covered the earth, it became clear there was something wrong. The animals and plants, the forests and oceans, all were in motion, as intended. Even the men and women, they all moved through the days and nights, perfect and contented. And, as was their newly-created natures, they grew and multiplied without limit. The earth quickly became crowded and chaotic, life without bounds spread and grew.

Finally, the Great Spirit called out to Coyote, “You are the cleverest of us all. What can we do? Our new world is growing itself into self-destruction.”

Coyote smiling in a manner that gave chills to some and provided others an excuse to laugh, replied,

“If you want your creations to live together in harmony, you must fashion a rule that applies to all. It must provide a true meaning to their existence.”

At this the gods smiled and nodded their heads. They all had their favorites in the new world. If Coyote could devise a way that allowed their creations to thrive, they would be indebted to him. Seeing their desire, the trickster god continued,

“I call it Time. It will not only rule every living thing, it will rule the world itself. The living and the not-living; even the stars and Sister Moon in the night-sky will have their existence limited by the rule of Time.”

The other gods were astonished. A rule that would not be broken, a law that could not be ignored. It required that the night follow the day. Always.

The gods were so happy with the outcome, they neglected to ask Coyote if he was telling them everything.

He was not. He provided an exemption from the rule of Time for two of his own creations: emotions and memory.

None of the gods noticed.

At first.

6) a minor rogerian expression, possibly a scottian malapropism

7) who remembers the movie, ‘The Day of the Triffids‘?

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE For anyone wanting to take this bloghop for a test ride. Send in a Grat Item and I’ll post it right here at Number 8!

9) Six Sentence Story (the place to go to read or, better yet, practice writing) flash fiction.

1) Una. ————————————————————-⇓

Una taking Phyllis for a walk.
(A proper leash has two attachment points for the protection of one or both parties)

2) Phyllis —————————-⇒

10) Secret Rule 1.3  (unofficial motto: ‘One through nine’ll get’cha number Ten’)

music vids

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