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

Well, this week’s Doctrine posts have been a fun! Charitably subtitled as: Comments-as-thesis-posts-built-around-them-like-bent-nail-scrap-lumber-tree-house-of-a-momentarily-unselfconscious-clark.

Shout-out to Frank for his (un-intentionally provocative Comments that provided a flat square of scrap plywood to be found at the edge of the metaphorical swampy-marshy area of the terrain of weekdays during Summer vacation) when we resolve to remember to explain to new Readers this wonderful(ly) alternative perspective on the world, reality and our commitment to getting through the day… ‘in language that everyone here can easily understand’

Friday?

Summer School?!

well, it would be cruel and unusual (well, cruel, anyway) to not treat any New Readers to a filmstrip! (ok, a video. and if the term ‘filmstrip’ carries any meaning to you, well, welcome to the Hypo-youth Culture! lol)

here ya go

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

Well, do you?

Well, before we get into what that word is, about today’s video Post.  Pretty good, right?  You will be Commenting in the form of a video (though audio is acceptable), won’t you?  To reinforce the ‘message’ of the video Post, we are totally serious about the fact that when we talk about personal realities we mean real…. reality. Not… “well I feel like yelling out during a movie!” or ” I think you look great in that dress and no one will notice your complexion, believe me”  or even  ” I really will work hard on getting a job, it will all work out for the best.”

We’ll revisit this aspect of the Wakefield Doctrine more frequently going forward, as we now have Considerer and Michele and (the others) asking the hard questions.

So the word.

It’s an innocent enough word. More than innocent, this word is often considered to be one of positive meaning and intent, a hopeful word, an optimistic word. But as a loan shark is to your local bank, the price of the loan is always higher than the value secured.
The word is ‘maybe’.
In the hands (or on the tongues) of clarks, the word is meant well. “It is a good job, maybe I’ll get it“. Perhaps because, when clarks look at the world we see people and institutions, groups and family members who, while certainly not intending us harm, (they all) clearly know something that we don’t know. “Maybe I don’t want to be a doctor, maybe I really want to find my own way”. The words we use when describing the world we find ourselves in, are  picked with the hope of blending in, looking to be a member or, one of the guys/one of the girls. “I think I should ask her out, maybe I’ll wait until a better time” “How many times do we have to discuss this, maybe next time you’ll listen to me”

Not really sure what it was that struck me about the use of the word ‘maybe’, it just seems that it has a certain resonance when employed by clarks. It is a word that lets us ‘commit without committing’, a word designed to insulate us from disappointment. clarks fear disappointment almost as much as we fear fear. More in a way. Fear can be run from. Disappointment is a sentence of reduced possibility. And if clarks are anything, we are people who believe that having possibilities is the difference between a possibly happy life and a life where we still have options. In a sense, as long as we have the possibility (of something) there is hope.  Maybe.

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