Monday, June 4, 2012

Recycling a bicycle



A recycled bicycle
I had two bicycles, an old and a new one.
The old one was still a good bicycle.
I needed a holiday.
Packed the old bicycle into a box.
Flew to Laos.
Cycled around, met people.
Left the bicycle behind with a family.
They could use it or sell it for children’s schooling.
________
Voice-over
One of the classical narrative patterns:  Solving a Problem:
(1) problem presented, (2) problem solved, (3) outcome
...  that is ...  (1) House-cleaning, (2) Holiday, (3) Helping.
Richard Bolles uses this approach in What Color is Your Parachute?
...

4 comments:

rolenzo said...

Laos needs bicycles, indeed, and a sack of parts for said would be most welcome or the bike might end up as a gate for a fence made of cluster bomb shells.
The default structure, despite parachute man's, seems to be situation-problem-solution-evaluation; this is much touted as the 'growth' information organization, though I doubt that such a distinction matters to real problem solvers like Polya, Feynman, Natusch.
Re-cycle indeed, or as they say in France, 'Vive la re-velotion!'

Barry Natusch said...

Viva Lord Revolenzo!

Thanks for mention of the four legged default structure. Yes, simplifying does not always reveal the true frame.

P man had a five-legged model:
Goal > Obstacles > Solutions > Results > Outcome

Tripods can be sturdy but find walking awkward.

3-4-5

Anonymous said...

We can indicate a person's life just like to ride a bicycle. Keep the speed stable, making cheerful smiling when you are riding it, speeding the speed fast and slow when you need. Ending the life end beautifully, because riding the bicycle process is the spectacular in every part.

Barry Natusch said...

The enthusiasm in expressions like "speeding the speed fast" remind me of Mark Twain who exhorted people to "...get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live."