Author Topic: Missing Alumni  (Read 22026 times)

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Offline tamtam

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« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2005, 02:43:00 AM »
Well HELLLLLLOOOOOOO!!!! I do, in fact, know Tamara Roberts... she resides within my skin!  Hey Kat!  I heard about this website from Heather via Betsy via I don't know who... you know how Operator works... but anyway.  Here I am, and I am surprised to see some people I have often thought of.  Kat, I can't believe how long it has been, I feel like I didn't really know you, but what I do remember was nice!  Claire, Carolina, Sarah F, Jen F, Emma- I am probably forgetting a few names... I am glad to konw you are all alive and doing well I hope.  I am doing really well, I live in San Diego, CA now, attending SDSU (I took lots of time off after going to U of Montana with Laurel and Melanie Kietz)-- I would love to catch up with some of you on a more personal note... please feel free to email me [email protected]  and just as an update on some people I do keep in touch with....

Shana Reitzenstein- well we turned out to be best friends believe it or not, she is still crazy Shana-  but now in a healthy and fun way and I love her to death- we have a great relationship and she is now a nurse at UCLA medical center.  We actually went to Israel together in January on a trip for Jewish college students, what an amazing experience -- I am not very religious but it was very spiritual.
Melanie Kietz (now Dewald)- she is great, married 3 or 4 years happily, living in Texas, I saw her last weekend while she was in So Cal helping her sister plan her wedding. Trying for a baby now...
Laurel Hahn-- we lost touch, I saw her last at her wedding several years ago... but I hear she is doing very well.
Heather Phelps- going to visit her in a week for her Wedding party!!  We are still very tight.  
Betsy-- we also keep in touch...I will see her at heather's party.
Liz McKenzie-- Betsy mentioned she passed away.  She and I went to Midland school near Santa barbara after leaving MMS, and we just went very different directions.  She got sucked back into drugs her senior year and after going through an intensive rehab program she overdosed (not intentionally I don't think) and passed away a few years ago.  Going to her funeral was probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done, and it in some ways renewed my inspiration to LIVE... I hope you understand what I mean by that, not a morbid comment by any means.

Ironically- my mom just moved to Tucson and she and Deb have become best friends, traveling all over the WORLD together... they are neighbors now, and so my relationship with Mike and Deb has been rekindled in a very different way then it ever existed at MMS.  

OK ENOUGH summary-- would love to talk more... see some pictures... all that jazz.  I am still the same me, just 10 years older and at least a few years wiser =)  
Tamara
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline katfish

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« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2005, 06:40:00 PM »
Hey Tamara,

Certainly have vague recollection of you, I left in August 1993, when did you arrive again?

kat
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #17 on: June 28, 2005, 07:02:00 PM »
Hey tamara, long time no hear!  I can't write much because I have to go get my kiddo.  SO nice to hear you're doing well.
My memory is fading, was liz mackenzie the sweet tall blond with sad puppy dog eyes, very quiet, big hands?  That is so sad.  If you would be willing to share, I would like to hear what happened to her, what drug was it? Again, that breaks my heart.  I will write more later....gotta go.
love
claire
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Offline tamtam

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« Reply #18 on: June 28, 2005, 08:30:00 PM »
Kat-- I got there in May 1993-- I remember you though and I heard about you a few times through Jill Porter... since I think she was keeping tabs on us both for a while.  I have a bunch of pictures of you too.. from some camping trips we went on that summer.  Anywho.. yes it has been a while!  Claire-- I sent you a long email just a few hours ago... it's great to hear from you!  Liz was the really quiet girl, always slouched, always sagged her pants, blue eyes, from SF area, sandy brown hair.  Really sweet.  She got into heroine.  Anyway-- really really nice to see some familiar faces!  We should catch up!-Tam
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2005, 09:00:00 PM »
HEY TAM!!! Its jewlz...remember me...:smile:How you been? Whats new?
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #20 on: June 28, 2005, 09:03:00 PM »
HEY KELLI! It's Jewlz...remember me? Whats up? Betsy's told me you are doing well. Id love to hear from ya.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #21 on: June 28, 2005, 09:05:00 PM »
I hate to be the barer of bad news but Liz Mckenzie committed suicide a few years ago.
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Offline tamtam

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« Reply #22 on: June 28, 2005, 10:44:00 PM »
Jewlz!  how are you girl??  Email me sometime... I don't know who is on myspace... but I am on there under my email address which is in my profile.  And to "anonymous" that posted the "Liz suicide" note--- I don't know who this is (or maybe I do) but I gaurantee that this is not the story her mother would relay to all questioning minds, and unless you know ALL the facts, do not make such statements without KNOWING, this is not something light.  I will clear it up one last time so there is NO CONFUSION.  Liz entered rehab for 6 months prior to her overdose.  Once the treatment was up and her body had detoxed, she had a relapse, and becuase her body could no longer handle the doses she could handle 6 months ago, her "normal" dose killed her. THere was no evidence of suicide, in fact her journals and other things found on her person indicated the contrary. SO don't go saying SERIOUS things about something you know nothing about.  She was my friend, I respect her family, continue to have contact with them, and feel extremely angry when untrue rumors start spreading about something as serious as a young death.  Boy, now I sound like some angry freak-- but the truth is this is one of the few things that really angers me, ESPECIALLY since many people on this site KNEW her and should not remember her as the poor girl who committed suicide, which is FALSE!!!!!!  That's it for me.  Whoever wrote that, I should spank you, and I don't mean that in a fun dirty way. :flame:
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #23 on: June 29, 2005, 12:07:00 AM »
WUSUP GIRL! I sent ya a private message, but not sure if you will get it. I added ya to my Yahoo message list. Email me some time [email protected]
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #24 on: June 29, 2005, 11:23:00 AM »
I would take it that they did not have a good experience and that they are not willing to open up the wounds again. Could be wrong, just my perspective.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #25 on: June 29, 2005, 11:24:00 AM »
Last post was in response to:

 i know a lot of girls don't want to be found- that is, eitehr explicitly say they've moved on. That strikes me as a bit strange. We've all moved on... what does that have to do with talking to old friends about your life now?

kat
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Offline tamtam

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« Reply #26 on: June 30, 2005, 02:37:00 PM »
If this site was strictly about getting in touch with old friends, I guarantee a lot more people would want to be found.  However, after reading through it, it's really a pretty heated and often times vicious forum where a lot of people are employing thir very best cutting remarks to cut down anyone who disagrees with them.  From both sides, those that had good experiences and those that had bad ones.  There are some people who have attempted to express their opnions without imposing on others, but it seems like a no-win situation.  This certainly doesn't apply to everyone who has written on this forum, but this is my generalized observation- if this doesn't apply to you then just breeze through it...For those who had bad experiences, the people who had good ones brush off the damaging effects, saying "where would you be without MMS?" or something like that.  No one can discredit the experience someone else had, I am sure for some more bad than good occured.  FOr those who had good experiences, it seems that the ones who had BAD ones can't possibly accept that this is a potential reality for another individual, and that the only possible explanation is brainwashing. Both outcomes are possible-- yes it's true.  I think there is a lot of clear evidence that while some people accept the experience as a valuable, helpful one, others really did not feel helped at all, and probably the therapy methods applied were not really appropriate for those individuals.  

When I got on this website I was really excited to see some long lost familiar faces, and that was why I said anything.  My personal experience has been neither extreme, to be honest I don't really remember most of my time at MMS, it is a blur of skiing, biking, crying, laughing and various sad and funny memories.  I also don't remembe much of the years following MMS, as I went through a whirlwind of trying to be "straight-arrow" teenager and then rebelling against the rigidness I had been holding myself to.  The last 4-5 years have been my biggest learning years, and I assure you it has not been brainwashing, rebellion, or any other extreme that attributes to feeling on track now.  It is just normal (can I even USE that word.. haha) life growth and experience, balancing what does and doesnt' work in life...etc...  

Anyway, my point is this: Those alumni don't want to be "found" may not want to be involved in this war against MMS.  It doesn't mean their experience was peachy keen... it means they don't feel so much animosity in the present that would make them want to pursue their experience from 10 years ago.  Plus, some of our current day situations conflict with some people's highly negative opinion on certain individuals.  I mentioned I have continuing relationships with Mike and Deb... and while I didn't particularly get along with them 10 years ago, now my relationship with them has changed.  It is one of friendship and respect, started up just a few years ago mainly because of my mother's close friendship (and her proximity) with Deb, and now I am glad to have them in my life.  Everyone on this site has had a different experience, some more similar than others.  I would love to get the chance to renew or restart some friendships with many of you, but I have to be able to be honest for that to happen. This is probably not the place to JUST renew friendships... since it IS a sort of focused forum on shutting down MMS or reforming it... so maybe I won't write again on here.  I just wanted to put this out there because this is first place I have seen in a long time where many alumni are gathering, and I hope some of you can still remember that friends don't have to agree on everything and will stay in touch!  I love hearing what everyone is doing now, I think many of you are very inspiring people.  That's it... signing out.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #27 on: July 01, 2005, 02:09:00 AM »
I've been wanting to get in touch with Mike but didn't know how. I just wanted to let him know how I've been and let him know how much I appreciated his help at my time at MMS. Do you have an email for him? You can contact me privately, thanks.

[email protected]

Melissa (I was there 98-00)
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #28 on: July 01, 2005, 03:29:00 AM »
Hey Cruxy Gower-sha,
I know how to contact the Finns.  Call me and I'll let you know wasssup.  
Love,
Crux
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #29 on: July 04, 2005, 05:28:00 AM »
DOES ANYONE REMEMBER MIA SCHIMMEL?  I REALLY LIKED HER ALOT.  I WONDER HOW SHE IS DOING?
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