Come Clean Versus Reality

[Nonconformistlaw]

I'm reading that book based on Straight called Come Clean which is making me really irritable and nervous. Its pretty obvious where my anxiety problem comes from as I read. But it also has me curious about how accurate it is.

For example, one part goes into detail about Lunch. In the book the chairs are cleared away and tables are set up where everyone eats lunch at. They were also given McDonalds Happy Meals to eat.

Here's a couple excerpts:

"As in the rap session, the boys and girls are separated but facing each other. The boys' side of the table is much longer than the girls', maybe ten or fifteen bodies more."

"Once everyone is seated, Dwight hollers, 'Who here is hungry?' 'We are Dwight!' the group responds at full volume. 'And who here is thankful for what ya'll are about to receive?'....'We are Dwight!' 'Who do you have to thank for it?' 'Our Higher Power and our programme!'"

Okay so my questions are....

1. Did any Straight ever bother to set up lunch tables and seat the group this way?

Where I was we ate in our chairs in group...no tables.

2. Did any Straight program start lunch by thanking their higher power, etc? If so what was said...does anyone remember?

Where I was we never did that. I also would have died for McDonalds! Never got anything like that!

[Anonymous]

I think that the account you read has been severely fictionalized.  McDonald's?  Puh-leaze!

[Anonymous]

what a crock of shit.  The sandwiches we got were swimmers.  Frozen fucking sandwiches thawed out jelly.  Yuck.  Also, later on we got some kind of spam material.  It was totally gross as well.

[Anonymous]

I don't recall anyone thanking their "higher power" for the slop they dished out for us at lunch and dinner.

[Nonconformistlaw]

On 2005-10-31 12:49:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I think that the account you read has been severely fictionalized.  McDonald's?  Puh-leaze!"

As I read through the book I can usually tell what has to be fiction and what is reality. Sometimes I wonder though on minor details, about things like the lunch table, if there were just some small differences between the Straights that found its way in the book.

Yeah...the part about McDonalds was so obviously fiction!  :roll:

Also....On the girl's intake she was told there would be a 3 day evaluation period so she seems to be thinking after 3 days they will realize what a big mistake has been made....which we all know is NOT the reality...we were lied to and told we only had to stay for 14 days. Of course I do remember believing that I would be out after 14 days....if only that were reality!

[Carmel]

We never got anything outside of home-food.  We never had tables either, not even when we got the shitty tray lunches on Friday nights.

My diet was PBJ and tortilla chips and an apple.  Everyday for months.

We were told about the 14 days too. And that we could put in for a "Withdrawl".  I dont think a parent ever saw those withdrawls.

[Anonymous]

I think that book was written by the sister of someone who was in straight, which I felt I could sense from reading the book, although I did like the book. I dont want to give any of the book away by saying what I mean, but it just felt like she had only so much of an understanding of it.

No we never ate at a table like that either, we ate in our chairs. And no McDonalds. :wink:

[starry-eyed pirate]

In Springfield we had one smushed PB&J and a bruised apple or orange w/water for lunch.  That's it, no chips.  No tables.  No thankin' any higher power.  99% of the time dinner was whatever the kitchen was serving, which was supervised by parents and worked by phasers.  Every so often the kitchen would run out of dinners and then some 5th phaser would be sent across the street to Hardees to pick up hamburgers w/fries to go for those fortunate enough to have been at the back of the dinner line.  In my 23 months in the program i think i had Hardees for dinner in group about 3 times.  Once the parents who ran the kitchen jus' didn' show up at all.  i was on 5th phase at the time and i was sent across the street to pick up like 2oo hamburgers w/fries to go for the whole group!! They called the order in ahead of me. Fuck McDonalds and Hardees and all that shit in your mouth fast food(??) anyway.  Peace.[ This Message was edited by: starry-eyed pirate on 2005-10-31 18:00 ]

[Nonconformistlaw]

On 2005-10-31 16:22:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I think that book was written by the sister of someone who was in straight, which I felt I could sense from reading the book, although I did like the book. I dont want to give any of the book away by saying what I mean, but it just felt like she had only so much of an understanding of it.

No we never ate at a table like that either, we ate in our chairs. And no McDonalds. :wink: "

I know what you mean about sensing that the writer did not have a complete understanding, but I can also tell that the writer certainly knew enough details from survivors to make it fairly accurate on the whole. It would make total sense if a sibling wrote it.

There are moments that the book is so accurate that it blows my mind and others were it does seem like something is getting confused. Like I wonder if the writer mixed up the first three days that we couldnt talk or motivate as that 14 day line everyone got. But the overall effect of the book does give a fairly accurate picture of what it was like in Straight even with the minor mistakes or "fictionalized" details.

[Nonconformistlaw]

On 2005-10-31 17:43:00, starry-eyed pirate wrote:

"In Springfield we had one smushed PB&J and a bruised apple or orange w/water for lunch.  That's it, no chips.  No tables.  No thankin' any higher power.  99% of the time dinner was whatever the kitchen was serving, which was supervised by parents and worked by phasers.  Every so often the parents in charge of the kitchen wouldn't show up and then some 5th phaser would be sent across the street to Hardees to pick up 200 hamburgers w/fries to go!!  In my 23 months in the program i think i had Hardees for dinner in group about 3 times.  Fuck McDonalds and Hardees and all that shit in your mouth fast food(??) anyway.  Peace."

Sounds like my lunchtime dining experience as well...only I never had the three occassions to eat fast food of any kind. At the time that would have seemed like heavan compared to the endless PB&J fruit lunch.....

Did phasers talk during lunch at all the Straight's too? Where I was, it wasn't a rap, but as we were eating someone would be talking about "lighter" stuff, as in fabulous changes someone made, "fun" at the host home the night before, etc.

I assume this also happened at all Straights as we ate PB&J in our chairs with a warm cup of water...paying close attention to the person talking, then passing our garbage down the row to be thrown out.

[starry-eyed pirate]

Yeah, that's how Springfield was too.  Hey i gotta go now.  The Steelers are on!!  Happy HalloweEEEEEEeN!!   :skull:  :skull:  :skull:   :wave:

[Antigen]

In Sarasota, we had institutional sized tin trays filled w/ greasy, starchy cheap shit and big old buttermilk buscuits on the side, sometimes. As a stave against hunger once in awhile, it wasn't horrible. But as a steady diet, well the girls all put on anywhere from 10 - 30 lbs of gummy fat ass while the boys actually got sort of fit, if oddly green and pale. And, of course, you'd get in trouble for being ungrateful if you didn't stuff down every bite. After awhile, that wasn't a problem. I used to reeeeeeaaaaalllly look forward to those buttermilk biscuites.

I vaguely remember getting Arbees sandwiches one time in the carpet room. I think it was like a Christmas gift from one of the parents or some damned thing. I just remember sitting there thinking how fucking pathetic it was that we all felt so spoiled just by having a slightly different variety of cheap greasy starchy shit.

I had been kind of a health nut before. I went from a well toned 115 to a gummy 150 in NO time flat!

But it would depend on the location and date. At the Seed, they had bologna, pb&j and, sometimes, ham sandwiches all neatly wrapped in individual baggies and sorted by meat and dressing. I know that because I was conscripted to assemble them every Sunday after church w/ my mother. I know they had some damned good roast turkey on year for thanksgiving, too. My dad's buddy, Louie, cooked them in his pizza ovens at the deli.

Here's freedom to him who would read;
 
Here's freedom to him who would write;

None ever feared that the truth should be heard,

But them that the truth would indict.


--author unknown (circa 1914)

_________________
Drug war POW
Straight, Sarasota
`80 - `82

[Withdraw]

[ This Message was edited by: Withdraw on 2006-02-28 22:13 ]