Might as well write about the past to get through the emptiness of the present............
The fall of 1978 was a pretty cool time to be a teenager, even for one in a drug program that was gaining national attention. A new band had come out called Cheap Trick and so far, none of the staff at the building had anything bad to say about them. I had only been back in school for about a month now. My dad had insisted that I join the R.O.T.C. program offered there and I had my doubts on why, but after a few weeks, I realised that he knew exactly what he was doing when he made sure that I was placed in the class.
The "rotzi's' had to wear uniforms and stuck out like a turd in a punchbowl in high school, yet stuck up for each other and were a force to reckon with in the hallways. By my being a part of an Army Prep Training Unit, I would not have to worry too much about people wanting to mess with me for being in Straight. This really helped to ease me into the social structure of high school. I was a new kid at a new school, and the member of a secret cult as well. The teacher in my printing class was very lenient, and it was not long before we had radios playing all through the shop. This was the first time in my program that I had access to the 'druggie' world and all its mysteries since my initial incarceration back in the summer. The music scene was really changing, and Disco was actually making strides as a mainstream form of entertainment. Southern Rock was having a stake driven through it's heart as bands were breaking up or dying in plane crashes. I was learning alot and was still known as Bob Newman. That is the name I entered the program as, but all that was about to change. Behind my back, my dad was getting ready to take steps necessary to give me back my birthname of Bob Patterson, only the kind folks at Straight were going to pull some strings of their own.
From out of the blue, they decide to send my brothers and two newcomers to stay at my Mom's house in Largo with me. This was total bullshit on Straight's part, as I had never once, had any communication alone with my mom since being placed in the program. They were afraid that my mom would try to pull me and they were right there, because they treated her like shit from the get-go. To help sweeten the deal, they gave us a newcomer that was going to split no matter what, and they new full well that my mothers home was not split proof.
To make a long story short, Gordon split through an unsecure window while I did my homework in the kitchen with both of my step-brothers in the same room with him, and I was made to look bad. They tried to place the blame on me, but I held my ground and stated the fact that none of the newcomers should have been there in the first place, that I did not have one minute alone with my Mom, and when I did she started talking about pulling me and we argued about it. This was all carefully orchastrated by Staff and it worked like a charm. My father got my mother to sign away custody to him, and I was left regarding her as "weak" and I gave up my entire identity to become a part of "Patterson Horizons" which is what my host home came to be known as. My grandfather paid for the court proceedings which came to the tune of $166 dollars
and there is a picture of me and my grands hugging with me holding out 8 twenty dollar bills.
I can honestly say, that aside from the 7step ceremony, it was the happiest moment of ever being in the damn program. We had a thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon that was actually a permission and I believe my first one, and things were very tense and awkward, until we went out and shot pool with my grand dad in the garage. He asked me about school, and I told him that I needed to come up with a printing project for Print Shop. We came up with an idea for some business cards for him and I wound up getting an A for the design. I also got his phone number and called him later to let him know the cards were done. I did not know it, but I could have been started over for this. All phone numbers were to be approved by staff. Me and my grandfather formed a secret alliance that carried on throughout my program. He disliked my stepbrothers and stepmother as much as I did, and he provided a welcome outlet to vent my anger at times. Had it not been for the relationship with my grandfather, I may well have snapped and set the house on fire or something along those lines.
...............pass the turkey, there please!
_________________
In the line of fire, you know what to say
They gave us no choices, just one shade of grey
Back at that hellhole, behind Tyrone Mall
We walked in darkness, kept hitting the walls
I took the time to feel for the door
I had been treated, but what the hell for?
[ This Message was edited by: 85 Day Jerk on 2002-11-28 21:07 ]
