I lived near Wheeling WV, went to Linsley Military Institute there since my parents were trying to stop me from getting into what I ended up getting into. Was flunking out of West Liberty State College near Wheeling when I my life was hitting the wall. Acid trips were all bumbers. People I sold drugs to would rip off their friends and blame me. After me with a gun. Took a tape player in trade for drugs and it was stolen from a friend/neighbor of mine. Almost drove a car over a cliff. Right after I got busted and ended up at the Seed, my business "partner" got busted with large quantaties and served 5 years. That got him clean and sober. I definitely would not have traded places with him.
Went into the Seed in Ft. Lauderdale then moved near Cleveland and went to a branch of Kent State around 76. Would spend the weekend "with the guys". Pete W., Steve S.(married Maryanne), Steve G.(his girlfriend "from the streets" was staff when he went in in Ft. Lauderdale, he married another grad from Cleveland), Bobbie B., Phil S., John G., etc.. Everybody loved John G. What a loss. He and I drove to Ft. Lauderdale with a Kenny who I thought was from Solon. His father owned a carpet store or someting like that? Spent a lot of time with a guy from east of Cleveland, Phil H.. Use to ride his motorcycles and snowmobiles. Lived with John P. for a while in Pepper Pike. Moved out of the house when his brother came into the Seed. His sister came in and eventually married Phil S. , then divorced. Visited Rea at Ursuline College, did things with 3 sisters, Judy K, Karen K and ?. We went for a ride one day to visit a "chick" graduate near the PA line and got stopped by the local Barney Fife for a fake license plate. He wanted to impound the car, but the Seed chick's father was the Chief of police and he jokingly chewed me out in front of the Barney. I got the car back. I remember the staff mentioned in the other posts and a cute blonde staff member Maggie C. that came up for a while. Hank M. was up from Florida for a while. After the Seed left Cleveland, some guys got motorcycles. What fun times and great memories.
I would talk to a lot of people after they quit coming around the Seed or were not allowed to come around. It seems that if people were not a part of the "solution"(focusing on helping the newcomers on the front row), then they were a problem. It seems like it would have been easier for a couple of staff members to give someone a word of encouragement instead of kicking them out. Almost all the staff members were really great, though. Se La Vi.
I remember boxing matches in the basement and open meetings in the gym of the old Catholic building. I was around for a lot of years and never saw or heard from a credible source anything abusive happening to anyone.
It would be great to communicate with others from that time.
skipjackguy@cox.net
