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

This is the Wakefield Doctrine’s contribution to the Ten Things of Thankful (TToT) bloghop.

Founded by the estranged first wife of C.S. Lewis’ long-time driver, Joe, the TToT has become one of the internet’s most enduring grat-blogs. What follows, while in no way intending to represent the sophistication, (and rationality), of most of the other participants in this ‘hop, is what we choose to cite for those people, places and things that elicit the psycho-emotional state of gratitude.

1) Una

2) Phyllis (if you look closely in the review mirror, you can see Phyllis). Why, yes, when the three of us go for a car ride Una always gets ‘shotgun’.

3) the Wakefield Doctrine  (the implied ‘which’ in our fav Latin phrase: sine qua non (the ‘not’ being: everything internet)

4) the Six Sentence Story bloghop

5) the Zombie Christmas Project Chapter 7! (Matthew 6:30)

6) end of an interesting writing project/exercise in the form of a co-written Serial Six Sentence Story. An ‘adventure’ involving a new character (in the world of Ian Devereaux) and a long-standing character from Tom (‘Most-excellent Namer-of-characters and part-time chef at the Six Sentence Café & Bistro).

We wrote alternating ‘chapters’ with no effort to coordinate narrative or any other element other than location. We, both of us, claim membership and tenure in the school of ‘seat-of-the-pants’ writing. Tom’s concluding entry: Here  Our concluding entry: Here. We both provide backlinks to make the entire story available, which surely enhances the read.

7) hey, you know how, at the end of some Marvel movies, they insert a scene that ties to the movie you just watched? Not really an outtake, more like a scene from the editing room floor? Well, after completing my part of the un-named serial story with Tom, I got to thinking about Rue DeNite and Rocco.

“Syrup?”

Rocco eye-browed the rack of little, squarish glass bottles of pancake syrup that, through the mitosis of condiments common in 4:00 am visits to the local IHOP, ended on his side the napkin dispenser.

“Nah, thanks,” Rue looked down at her plate of biology textbook-sized slices of French Toast, “I could use the ashtray.”

The restaurant was at the tail-end of a customer ebb tide, the forty-four minutes, in the course of a 24 hour day, when more people left than arrived. Never a problem distinguishing between those of the ebb from people of the flow. The former moved with the slow caution appropriate to the end of a day, particularly those for whom success (or failure) has not yet been validated. The latter had, for the most part, the faces of children entering the first grade in Catholic school.

“Hey, Rocco, thanks for, you know, back there.” Rue stared into her coffee mug, “I’m really sorry I fucked up,” giving up on seeing a credible future in the round mocha mirror, “I hate the idea of letting Lou down like this, what with that grammar guy making off with all that cash.”

‘Don’t worry about the money. Ain’t nothin’ in the grand scheme of things.” Rocco dabbed the corners of his mouth with a twice folded and thoroughly archaic cloth napkin.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” tucking the napkin just under the overhang of the china plate, at precisely the four o’clock position, he continued, “My boss, sorry, our boss, thinks more moves ahead than Boris-fuckin’-Spassky or, for you Z-Gens, whatever-fricken-acryonm the current AI product is being marketed under. As Lou’d say, “Don’t worry about nothin'”.

“Sure, I’m tryin’, but as soon as we get back from Miami; assuming I’m not in some landfill with my EZ Pass cancelled, I’m gonna put in for some vacation time.” her china mug created a two-beat accent as she put it down on the pink formica, “I’ve always wanted to visit merry ‘old England’.

Standing next to the end of the booth, right-hand extended, Rocco smiled in a way that gave Rue an idea for dance routine when she finally returned to the Bottom of the Sea Strip Club and Lounge.

“Did you go to Catholic School?” Rue shrugged into the overcoat that has body-guard-size too large as Rocco continued,

“Well I did. Don’t remember a lot, but I can spell the shit out words,” the woman at the cash register smiled at his reference to a form of punishment favored by certain orders of nuns,

“One passage from the Bible has stayed with me, I even remember the reference: Romans 12:19-21,

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith…”

Rue felt a reflex grin form as she stepped into the early morning parking lot as Rocco’s voice increased in volume,

“…saith Lou Ceasare.”

8) something, something

9) hey, speaking of Friends of the Doctrine, Nick has a new gig (in addition to his regular blog*) as part of a group called ‘The Rhythm Section‘. You oughta go check it out. Tell ’em the Doctrine sent ya.

10) Secret Rule 1.3 from: the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules)

music vids

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