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SSS -the Wakefield Doctrine-

December 14, 2017 By

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

This is zoe’s Six Sentence Story bloghop. Each week, she provides us with a prompt word and challenges one and all to take the word and make the denizens of the metaphoric world of rhetoric totally green with envy at the fabulous stories we submit.

You know, we may talk funny ’round the Doctrine here and elsewheres… not pointing any fingers, (far be it from me to imply that Paul or Miz Avery or that English fellow, Keith… are among those of us who view the English language much the way a kitten sees a totally lit and decorated Christmas tree…. no, they all stand up folks what write real good and don’t even get me started on some the others like Mimi (who not only writes a mean Six, and somehow manages to make it part of an entertaining serial story)… and speaking of upside down, there’s that woman from clear on the other side of the planet, Irene and there’s Pat B…. I could go on and on, which might be the merciful thing to do this week. Given our Six.

Did we mention that sometimes the Six Sentence Story ends up being viewed as an opportunity to ‘practice the craft’…. (ahem! well, perhaps using the word ‘learn’ might yield a more satisfactory participial phrase.*) In any event, this week’s Six is from the next chapter in my other WIP, ‘Home and Heart’ (a Sister Margaret Ryan novel)

The prompt word this week is ‘TUNE’

 

“Alex, over here,” Alex Dumas heard the voice even as his eyes struggled to adjust; stepping in from a cloudless October noon, the pretend-nighttime lighting of the bar was like jumping off a dock into a cold blue lake, the secret lay in not panicking at the sudden change.

After six voice messages that consisted entirely of, ‘we need to talk, you’ll be glad you did’, Alex finally picked up his phone just as Phil Borastein was leaving his seventh; in what seemed to be a single breath, the man explained that he, among all literary agents in the world, was the only one qualified to make ‘The Nun and the Billionaire’ into a runaway bestseller. The ‘Nun and the Billionaire’ was the title of the series of articles the graduate student just completed for his college newspaper; chronicling the efforts of a novitiate nun, one Sister Margaret Ryan, to stop the foreclosure of her elderly mother’s home by a predatory corporation, by the name of the Bernabau Company, was by all measures a monster hit.

The bar was of a tried-and-true layout: a row of booths along windows that looked out over the street, creating a Hieronymus Bosch-painting–as-performance art i.e. a world of light and a world of darkness separated more by the nature their respective inhabitants than by any physical barrier.

The last booth was backlit in reflected neon red and silver that, like the shimmering waters of a fountain of youth (or failing that, a fountain of forgetfulness), the jukebox sat and released into the air, tunes that made one remember a past that should have been.

As Alex got nearer, stepping around the supplicants to glass gods of forgetfulness and forgiveness perched on lonely stools with heads bowed, looking at their drinks in quietly desperate attempts to find their way out of a world that they couldn’t remember seeking, the owner of the voice became clearer, or at least more visible; the young man’s immediate impression was that of a toad, not so much slimy as he gave the impression of being an animated pile of compressed fat with a toxic smile, wearing a worn-out suit.

 

* no, it’s alright, I admit to a shameless wikipedian binge in this week’s Six. That I risk totally inappropriate use of words and concepts of grammar is irrefutable. Much like a boy given 10 seconds in front of a candy counter, not only might I’ve grabbed items I have no familiarity with, I surely risk an upset stomach at the end of the day. oh well, such is the typical day in the fun house that is the internet.

 

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FTSF -the Wakefield Doctrine-

December 7, 2017 By

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

Today we head over to the most excellent of bloghops, Finish the Sentence Friday. Hosted by Friend of the Doctrine, Kristi and (for this Week) Hillary Savoie.

“Can you say, ‘ello there Miz Kristi, Ms. Savoie? Sure you can.”

The way this bloghop works: participants are invited to complete the sentence, the fragment of which is provided. Each week a different sentence fragment. When (participants) complete the sentence, in the manner of their choice to whatever length they deem proper, they add them to the list of posts to be found at Kristi and Hillary’s blogs. That way all are available for reading, hence the term, bloghop.*

I will join the others and invite you all to join in this week’s ‘hop. It’s fun and it’s interesting and, if you’re into the stream of consciousness school of post writing as am I, you might be surprised at the post that sits on your screen and dares you to hit ‘Publish’.

The Sentence to be completed:

“When it comes to belonging…”

“…the concept tempts me to believe that I know how might a blind man or woman feel, surrounded by well-intentioned people earnestly describing Niagara Falls and with each new narration of the experience, I smile in their direction and nod at the descriptions and metaphors, analogy and examples.”

The above is my immediate ‘Finish’ Arguably that makes it the most honest completion of this week’s sentence. I do, however, have a second, perhaps more… fun Sentence completion. But first a little backstory and, hopefully sufficient context to make my post more…fun?

The above complete sentence is what I think about ‘belonging’. My perception of myself, (hey, all the rest of what follows is an elaboration of what those four words imply. Not so much that the words themselves explain anything as it the way I describe the process underlying my response), is that of an Outsider. For me, the world is ‘out there’ and I am here. (One of the ways to spot an Outsider, aka a clark in the Wakefield Doctrine system) is to say, ‘Every day I wake up and try to figure out what I’m going to have to do with the world out there.’ It’s been my experience that a lot of people do not make that distinction between themselves and reality. They tend to be the people who belong.

Now the follow-up Finish (of the Sentence):

“…the closest I come to belonging is when this topic comes up and I sense others, who hesitate and look around the group, quietly, un-noticeably before responding. At such times I believe I can see the rainbow in the mist at the edge of Niagara Falls, if only for a second.”

 

 

 

* sorta… I suspect the etymology is far more involved (and interesting) than my suggestion, seeing how no one actually ‘hops’, not that that’s possible, being a medium that does not permit direct physical interaction. ‘though, that being said, there is nothin in the rules that forbids participants from hopping, at least that I’m aware.

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Tuesday -the Wakefield Doctrine-‘the Everything Rule’

December 5, 2017 By

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

The ‘Everything Rule’ states that, ‘everyone does everything, at one time or another’.

While it might be tempting to think, “oh ho! Your rule there allows for exceptions to your three personality types schema. And, unless the Herd disagrees, your Rule supports my contention that I am not a clark or a scott or a roger, I am something that is all three. So much for your ‘live in one characteristic reality’.”

The Wakefield Doctrine maintains that despite living in only one of the three worldviews, we retain the potential of all three personality types. The value in the Doctrine in the arena of self-improvement rests quite solidly on this premise. The reason being, a lifetime of practice notwithstanding, we all have the necessary ‘range of response’ (to the world and the people around us) that is at the foundation of the three personality types.

The thing is, when we talk about personality types here, what we really are referring to is our (individual) efforts to develop strategies and skills to successfully navigate the world (physical and social) we find ourselves waking up to every morning.

Damn! too many words. Too roundabout and vague. Better access my scottian aspect.

We all need to interact with the world and the people around us. At a very early age we discover (and develop) ways of behaving that secure us what we desire and learn (and refine) strategies that help us avoid what we do not. As we mature, our world expands, our knowledge and abilities grow and our behavior and interpersonal strategies become more sophisticated. Up to a point. Most of the time.

Bottom line is that for the Wakefield Doctrine, ‘personality type’ is not a list or schedule of traits, impulses, desires and guesses on a long survey with multiple choice answers. It is the style of interaction what works for us in the world, as we experience it. The nature and character of the personal reality in which we grow and mature, drives the development and our ‘personality types’ are merely mirrors of the conditions of that reality.

If we grow up in the personal reality of the Predator, then we damn well better be quick to respond and slow to reflect. If we find ourselves in the world of the Outsider then we surely will learn to keep a low profile and learn as much as possible as fast as possible, the better to understand how to act like the real people that surround us.

Pretty simply, isn’t it?

So, back to the ‘Everything Rule’. It’s not that there are scottian jobs or rogerian interests or movies that only a clark would watch. Actually there are…all three. But although some (of ‘the Everything’) is more in sync, harmony, complimentary (and complementary) to individuals of each of the three types, the fact is, everyone does everything. The very useful and productive use of the ‘Everything Rule’ is as a reminder to take advantage of the perspective that the Doctrine makes available.

We use the term ‘manifest’, i.e. how does that job manifest to that person. This is nothing less than trying to see the world as the other person is experiencing it. Huge ambition. Incredible rewards.

It’s not, ‘seeing through the eyes of another‘, that’s too prone to seeing what we’re experiencing. What this exercise entails is to imagine what being a…. cook in a restaurant is in the world of the Herd Member, or working as a physician when you’re a Predator or being on stage in front of the entire school when you grew up an Outsider. Put yourself in their world and you will have a sense of how things manifest for that person.

Sure, most cops are scotts. Well, duh, the job description: put shiny metal objects on your body, have the right to drive as fast as possible while making a lot of noise, chase people with impunity and when you catch them put them in restraints…oh yeah, shoot off a gun …whenever.

Sound like any personality type you know? However, there are rogers and clarks who end up in uniform, one of the boys (or girls) in blue. Of course, their worlds, their personal realities cast the fun parts of the job in entirely different light. As a result, the rogerian police officer ends up being an administrator and Chief or Sergeant and the clark tries for Detective and ends up teaching Law Enforcement in the local Community College.

You get the idea.

If you have any questions about the ‘Everything Rule’ be sure to write a Comment.

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TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- (Ten Grats ala ‘wordless’ noir)

December 3, 2017 By

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

“The Sun’s trail from the earth to the sky.”
(Landscape format)
The bottom third of the scene is the beach. The middle third is the sea. The top third is sky. And above all these thirds, out of view but nevertheless dominant, is the sun. This is a photo taken standing on a small sand dune, looking out to the ocean. Technically, it’s looking out over Block Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. To the right middle of the horizon is Long Island.

Well, you have Friend of the Doctrine, Pat B to blame for this week’s…pastiche (aka Doctrine writing-style train wreck lol). Granted, I was on the fence as to the approach to this week’s TToT. (New Readers/Participants? Each week Josie Two Shoes organizes and opens the door to the TToT bloghop. As the name implies, the theme is gratitude and the ambition is ten (items that serve as illustrations or examples of what ignites a feeling of gratitude). What Josie provides is that sense that it’s all about the good intent and not the rules or standards or format of presentation.

Good thing, too. As I was saying in my lead-in. I had a couple of ideas for this week, but they were starting to feel like they might be pushing the bounds. Then I got a Comment from Pat on this week’s Six Sentence Story that spoke to the idea that many of us use these bloghops as opportunities to practice our writing and try things out, writistically-speaking, “...If it were not for those in this blogging world who are so accepting of those who try.” And, of all the ‘hops I participate in, the TToT is the most refrigerator-magnet conducive to those of us who get a kick out of writing for the fun of it.

Hey! That not only should be Number one this week, but it’s totally a prompt for a photo!

1) refrigerators as: galeries d’art amateur et de littérature

Refrigerator Art.
(Landscape format)
A black refrigerator. The view is of the top quarter which is pretty much the freezer door. The angle of the photo is such that we see the right side of the refrigerator as well.
The black metal finish is reflective, and since we are looking at it from the right, the reflection is of the opposite wall to the left. Stuck to the front are two note pads (held in place by magnets). On the right side we see enough detail to realize that the collection on that wall is made up of photos.
A light-brown oak cabinet door is to the upper left of the photo.

 

Well, one of the things I thought I’d try this week was to write some Grat Items in the style of the pulp detective stories (a writing style I really want to learn).

2) Una. “The file said, ‘Chodský pes’ and if I’ve learned one thing from my years as a gumshoe, its that slashes over letters usually spell trouble. My client and I stood at the window as the black SUV ate it’s headlights off the gravel driveway and parked in front the house. We thought we could hear barking.”

3) Phyllis “There’s a saying, ‘a person who needs people is luckiest person in the world’, well, in my line of work, those are clients. Lucky is not usually how they feel when they pay my fee. This one was different. The people in her life were the lucky one. I still cashed her check.”

4) Work The photo at the top of this week’s post is from yesterday. I have clients looking for something on the water and so… the pain of being a real estate broker. lol.

5) Treehouse: Although a legitimate ‘standalone’ grat, the treehouse serves as an example of Phyllis’s (Item 3) capacity for wonder and (her) immunity to the forces that insist we all grow up and leave the childhood world behind.

6) Houseguests

A football with feathers.
(Landscape format)
A turkey stands in the lower left quarter of the photo. It is facing left. It’s like, totally an Egyptian turkey, ’cause there seems to be no dimensionality to it. Both legs, (we’re guessing they’re legs, because they’re on the bottom and don’t appear to have feathers).
The main body is totally football-shaped. The color is shiny grey and black. And there are variations and gradations in the color that, given that we know what it is, we’re inclined to identify as the wings and tail feathers. The head is decidedly vulture-looking with a downward-hooked beak and a totally beady eye. The Egyptian motif does not extend to the head. Thank goodness. That would be way creepy.

Not the brightest of birds in the world. That said, we didn’t see a single turkey until yesterday, a full week after Thanksgiving.

7) the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) (“I was still on the force, paid by the week to obey someone else’s rules, when an old flatfoot by the name of Shaughnessy gave me advice that I’ve never forgotten. “Kid, it ain’t the procedures that ya gotta worry about. It’s the secret rules. Thems the ones that get made up by the guys that don’t need procedures” I heard he lived all of a week after hanging up the uniform. Too much change can kill a guy.”)

8) the Guest Room/ Guest Grat.  (this space reserved for anyone who might have a Grat Item but not the time to do a full-on TToT. Send it in and you can be a guest of the Wakefield Doctrine this week. (… yeah, you might want to talk to some of the other writers, the less… outré  lol they’ll give ya the scoop)

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

10) Secret Rule 1.3

This way to the Ten Things of Thankful midway

 

 

 

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TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘…post-Thanksgiving gratitude list?! sounds a little dangerous to me, if you know what I mean.’1

November 25, 2017 By

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

“Sitting at my desk at two minutes past five on a Friday afternoon, deep in the season of darkness.”
(Landscape orientation) The perspective of a person sitting at a desk, closely enough that the nearest edge of the muted-toffee top does not show. Most of the lower half of the photo is of the desktop. Except… it is not a full and even right-to-left claim on the bottom of the photo. The desk’s left edge is up against a wall that has a pair of windows. The wall on the left (with those two windows) takes up most of the left side of the photo but in the middle (of the scene) the left wall becomes the opposite wall.
The result is: while nearly all the elements in the photo are of square/rectangular shapes, not are straight, at least from the perspective we are afforded in the photo.

In the spirit of the delicious and lovingly prepared, multi-vehicle, interstate highway pile-up of a dinner this Thursday past, I’ll continue the theme in this week’s TToT.

Thanks go out to: Josie, Una, Phyllis, clients, the Graviteers, Joules (and her human, zoe), the fabulous Hexaliterati at the Six Sentence Story, the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules), Sister Bernadine of St. Dominique’s…oh and the the inventors of camera phones, Kerry (SOC-extrodinairette and road-trip role model), whoever invented yellow lined-pads, Cynthia and other like-minded clarks with the skills and discipline to ‘take the message’ out to the clarks who still live in the shadows. the movie ‘Tin Man‘ and the oddly encouraging personality quirk of un-justifiable ambition and delusions of literary skills beyond any reasonable assessment.2

There, that was a quick and simple TToT

A few feet notes, photo descriptions and a music vid and we’re done!

Hey! remember the ’70s?  (“You don’t?  No, no need to bother your parents…sure, I realize it’s just a quick call …no, I’m quite aware that Wikipedia is a keystroke away…. well, here watch the video and try to imagine a time/culture/milieu when the special effects contributed to the listener’s enjoyment of the song…no, seriously, It did.)

1)  It is axiomatic that if a person revisits the Wakefield Doctrine more than twice, (once by accident, once again to be certain that the author of the blog wrote what they thought he wrote), that person is: a clark or a scott or roger with a significant secondary clarklike aspect. ya know?

2) So let’s try and organize this mess ‘o grats. There are People, Places and Things that, by being present in my timeline, provide a positive influence on the path of its continuation.

The ‘People’ (in the above citation) are self-explanatory. (Yes, I will wait for the clarks to stop laughing.)

For the benefit of those new to this blog, I will list Una separately (from the people). Here is a photo:

Older Readers are permitted to laugh at the incidental (however greatly appreciated in retrospect) resemblance to a wonderful cartoon series from the 1960s, ‘Mr. Peabody and Sherman’ The term side-long glance is totally appropriate.
A landscape orientation.
Una on the left sitting upright on her haunches (forelegs straight, supported by front paws), in a bad-choice green leather wingback chair. She is looking directly at the camera, with mouth open, pink tongue anchoring the rounded ‘V’ of her face and head.
Phyllis is sitting to the right (Una’s left). She is not sitting upright. She does not appear to even be sitting in a chair. We guess this because the top of Phyllis’ head and Una’s head on a level.
Phyllis is not looking at the camera. She is looking at Una. She (Phyllis) has her left arm on the arm of the leather chair and, as a result, is leaning out of upright, towards Una.
The sidelong glance is apparent, despite the fact that Phyllis is wearing glasses. Her torso and head are facing the camera. Her eyes are looking at Una.
To seal the deal, Phyllis is wearing a turquoise tee shirt.
Una, on the other hand, conveys a sense of being properly and formally dressed for the occasion.

The ‘Places’ include the office in the photo at the top of the post. (“Yeah, the rogers are sitting with totally over-loaded thought balloons with, like, ‘there’s something wrong in that picture, hey that clock on the wall…wait just a damn minute!’) Direct your questions, concerns, outrage and complaints to zoe, thank you very much.

And finally, the Things: the Wakefield Doctrine. The reason for my presence in this virtual funhouse, everyone’s favorite ‘sphere, the blogosphere.

Here… that’s right…go ahead, click and read the other writers participating in the TToT

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