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.