Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Back with a one-off for jenne and ceayr’s weakly ‘hop, the Unicorn Challenge.
This week we confront the age-old conundrum: if you’re standing in a forest, where are the trees?
[Before…]
The man walked tentatively along the abandoned cart path and entered the grove of trees. Shielded from prying eyes by the trunks of an odd variety of mostly deciduous trees, he scrutinized the base of each gnarled trunk. His posture was well-suited to this endeavor, shoulders sloped into lifelong hunch, long hair shading his eyes, clothing from the House of Goodwill collection spoke of a life of unrealized potential.
Simon Létrange sat, rather awkwardly, and leaned against the trunk of a tree not that different from all the others. Once settled on the ground, he began to talk to himself. It was of a volume clearly a compromise between society’s admonition against such antisocial behavior and his need to hear another voice, even if it was his own.
“It is empirically valid that many otherwise intelligent people lack the ability to distinguish the forest from the trees. By extension, this peculiar twist, in otherwise normal perception should be valid in the converse. Few people viewing the old woman/young girl optical illusion will panic at their struggle to see one or another. If, as the Old Books describe the grove here as having the power, if one bold enough to surrender the cold comfort of conformity, to enable me to apply the reverse of this principle on the world at large.
[…After]“And now a man everyone knows, the man who will lead the Party to victory! Simon…”
About clarkscottroger
I have to confess, good sir, that, while I enjoyed the build-up, I find myself a little unclear as to what happened here.
Did Simon get the gift of the gab (or the ability to lie) from the trees?
Regardless, good to see you here.
My fault (or rather my grasp falling short of my reach*).
The ambition was to describe the protagonist in terms that would convey the life he’d lead. His ambition (in going to the grove) was to leverage the variability of perception (‘trees/forests’) found in most people, via the mgic the trees possessed on the world around him and the people who make it up. Result: loser-to-winner (candidate for a powerful political office). All because people will almost always believe what they see (whether it is the only thing to see or not).
* R. Browning
Interesting story. I like the idea of walking in amongst the trees and choosing one to soliloquy from. I also like that his back has become accustomed to the practice.
thanks looks like most of us (unicornians) have an affinity for nature
Well, his name is a good lead into what’s to follow, Clark – Simon Létrange!
Great description of him and his unrealised potential.
Just the kind of solitary chap who would risk trustiing to what the Old Books say about the grove and the power.
And in the end he gets to implement his world view?
thanks
…speaking of worldviews (lol)
as everyone knows, the Doctrine refers to personality types as ‘predominant worldviews’. Everyone has one (maintaining the potential of the other two). I’m ‘enjoying’ the challenge here to write a short but complete story each week. It has occurred to me that my stories resonant with Readers of a certain personality type more than those with the other two. While interesting, the challenge for me is (as it has been since showing up in the virtual world (virtual world motto: “No, don’t worry! If you can’t express what you want to in writing, we Readers will substitute whatever we think you were trying to convey.”
Not the worst thing. But, in theory I can develop sufficiently to write effectively for any Reader.
… even your little buddy, ceayr*
*don’t tell him I typed ‘lol’
lol