Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Seed Discussion Forum
Cleveland Seed Revisited
cleveland:
Somewhere on Fornits someone had mentioned the address of the Cleveland Seed - 8301 Detroint Avenue. That's where I was admitted to the program in 1979, just prior to the Seed leaving Cleveland and consolidating with the program in Ft. Lauderdale, I believe in Oct. of '79 (I may be wrong about these dates). Anyway, I moved back to Cleveland after I left the Seed in 1986, and I have lived on the near west side of Cleveland for the past 12 years. I drive down Detroit all the time, I had never seen building that called out 'Seed' to me, so I was sure the building had been demolished. There are a lot of vacant lots in this part of Cleveland.
Well, lo and behold, the building is still there. It is currently home for Mental Health Services, and has been altered a lot but not substantially.
I went looking for it the other night. I drove down Detroit, and went right past it. It is an H-shaped brick building, low set. The wings flank the entry ways, front and back. There is not much landscaping left, and of course, the big, ornate Seed sign (yellow on green) is gone. It looks like when it was built, it had a low, heavy roofline, meant to look like an English cottage, but that is gone now, as is the Tudor wookwork in the eaves - replaced by a modern, cheap-looking roof braced by big, iron braces. Ugly.
I went to the back parking lot, which is what I remember. I walked to the rear door, opened and entered into what would have been the rap room - now split up into reception area and offices. Some of the floor tile that I remember - heavy, shiny rustic terracota - is still evident, but a lot of it is covered with institutional grey carpet.
I walked to my left, and there were two cheap doors marked, 'conference room.' They were unlocked, and I walked in - there was the mantelpiece that I remember, with beautiful tiles inset with images of animals or cowboys or something - I have no idea. I only had a moment before security tossed me out, but I asked if I could look at the front entry because - "I had been here when I was a kid." The double terrazzo stairway, a 1950s addition to the building, still was flanked by interior flower beds, whcih in the Seed days, had featured Catholic saints (the building had been an orphanage pre-Seed). The saints are gone, but there were still a few wan looking plants, although the beds are now filled in - I seem to recall they had ivy in them, and maybe plastic flowers or greenary. I don't know.
It's amazing how little of the Seed building I recalled - I rarely saw anything but the inside of the main rap room upstairs and the one in the basement where we did the rules. The only other time I was in any of the other rooms was during my intake, where I was strip searched and interrogated.
I don't ever recall seeing much of the outside of the building. Did I wear a blindfold when I was driven there as a newcomer? I did always have an oldcomer with me, with a heavy arm draped over my shoulders. Usually one on each side.
I had no emotion at all in the building, or very little. I have experienced much more intense feelings and memories through this forum. Faced with the actual building, it just seemed a bit tired and faded, but mostly empty.
Thought those of you who went through the Cleveland Seed might like to hear this.
wtaylorg:
Hey Cleveland:
I too drove past the Cleveland Seed several times and never even knew it. This was afew yrs back, when I was in Cleveland. I used to visit a friend who lived only a couple of blocks away from there. One day, I looked at the bldg and thought that's it, the H shape. I saw the old ball field behind it.
I didn't stop but, I sort of remebered the parking lot although it seemed different to me. I hated that bldg, It felt to me at the time
like a cold dungeon with catacombs.
But, I also hated the Seed in Ft Lauderdale. The entire time I lived down there, everyday I drove up to that place my heart would sink, and I felt very bad being there.
I couldn't wait to leave it everyday, but I knew I'd have to come back tomorrow.
NOT12NOW:
That ball field, how many times did I think of bolting accross that ball field. Sit there on my front row just feet away from really large windows and imagine bolting across that field.
Funny that it's a mental health building now, when ever I read of a mental hospital dayroom, I imagine it as the rap room.
Although you guys who were there later, you had your open meetings in the room I remember as the rap room. I never went to any raps after I graduated, so I don't know if you had your raps there also. Terricotta tiled floor, stucco walls,a fireplace on each side. The seed really shrank at the end. When I was there open meetings were huge events in the gym.
The downstairs was creepy. That dark red carpet and the dark paneled walls. After being up in the sunny room during my early group time we started having every rap downstairs later. I don't think anyone actually said it, but I imagined that we were down there for security reasons. So dark, it was the sort of place you'd expect torture to be performed. Oh right,it was.
_________________
Cleveland chick 76-77[ This Message was edited by: NOT12NOW on 2006-01-25 10:13 ]
Johnny G:
I have real vague memories of the Cleveland Seed, guess I was still trying to figure the whole thing out when we up and left for SR84.
THe strongest memories I have are the people there (I have some faces and names, only a few that match up).
I had voluntarily put myself in, I had some legal trouble so it was there or a mental hospital lest I go to prison (I told myself this before I heard of the Seed, so when it was put out there as an option, I took it - obviously I didn't need to be sold on the deadorinjail line)
I wonder what happend to the guys left behind (I was told not to talk to them after we moved). The guys who I thought could get me on the right track Paul T (and his sister Jackie...) john G (from Canada), Bobby B, Jeff P, Phil and Scott P.
I really feel bad for Eric (the boxer) and his whole family - they bought into it enough to move to Ft. Lauderdale, take home newcomers, and then get abandoned - thrown out - one day. I know it happened, but never knew anything about why.
I guess the lucky ones were the underage kids who were summarily graduated just because the program was splitting town, they didn't get sucked in the way many of us 80's folks did.
enough rambling for now - let's get together for your beverage of choice and talk all night - then I will get a lot of this stuff talked out.
Told my mom that I had found this forum, she said she doesn't hate Art any more.
later
GregFL:
--- Quote ---On 2006-01-25 18:52:00, Johnny G
Told my mom that I had found this forum, she said she doesn't hate Art any more.
later "
--- End quote ---
Me either.
Funny that, no? I think once you confront your personal boogieman, you take their power away. I now would love to have a one on one adult conversation with the man. I think I understand him better now, dont' harbor any ill feelings towards him, and generally have put the negativity in my past.
How is Art these days, anyway? Anyone know how his health is?
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