Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Despite the approaching solstice leaching the need to create in dark, subjective lowlands, the atlas of three quarters of the Earth’s endless circle, we continue. If nothing else, out of caution that damming a river risks destroying it. wW offer the following to our third-favorite bloghop, the Unicorn Challenge.
Hosted by jenne and ceayr, they insist on but one rule, i.e. the law of Word Limit. Fortunately, or not, the word limit for stories found in the week’s photo is two hundred and fifty.
This week’s travel poster:
“Is that a shoe?!!”
All the crafted schedules and subtle questionnaires, every sophisticated assessment of risk-for-addiction, every form of, ‘Do you have a problem with..’ was reduced to kindergarten finger-painted refrigerator-art, by the four word question.
A little context: professionals and well-meaning friends can be forgiven for failing in their efforts to understand. Seeking to help the person they thought I was, their sincere and, in some cases, skilled attempts, were doomed to failure, as I remained fluent in the language of Real People. They fell victim to the common error of mistaking the postman for the letter.
If there is a time of day when the Irrational rules, it is between, ‘Damn, the sun’s fuckin’ rising again’ and ‘hey buddy, you need some help?’ Now, as in countless previous mornings, the new day has forgiven the night’s excess, but not yet exacted a pledge to ‘try harder today’.
Sitting at true street level, the sight of one shoe in a gutter is not the sought-after therapeutic insight into a ruined life. The tone of the rhetorical question is.
Spun of the dross of a wasted life, the words hint at the shine and echo the tone of innocent delight of a child’s encounter with something brand new, and therefore, interesting. Possibly wonderful.
Paradoxically, while usually providing an all-too ineffectual understanding for the well-meaning helper, experiencing the gap produced by hearing the innocence of the question was often the seed of a Eureka moment for the individual.
About clarkscottroger
“The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer”.
Witty, charming and clever AF, your third ¶ made me lol.
Cool ink, dude!
thank you Nancy.
Who hasn’t woken up some Saturday morning wondering where the missing attire ended up?
Thank you
There’s trouble, seeking to help the person you think they are.
subtle but way true, yo
We take our Eureka moments where we find them. ‘Is that a shoe?’ is a good starting point. Good story. Sobering. Love the song.
yeah, fun adjunct (the song) as much as (the) ‘Eureka’
Deceptively deep piece once again, Clark.
I especially liked ‘the common error of mistaking the postman for the letter’.
Excellent.
thanks, c
It’s more than just a shoe in a gutter. I like where it took you.
yeah, funny things these semi-TATs
That was a eureka moment for me!! Really.😉
but beneath (or behind, within or approaching) is the sense of the transformation/change/return inherent in most situations
Underneath the polish of well placed words, there is an unmistakable rawness to this piece.
I second C. E. Ayr’s “Excellent”.