I found this on a now defunct Australian site. I didn't even know they had young person seminars here
My brothers got us kicked out of the landmark young person seminar when I was fifteen.
In the 90s my dad really got into the landmark forum and for Christmas one year my older brothers and I all got tickets to the landmark forum for young people. Hu bloddy rah! My dad’s thinking was that it transformed his life & made him some sort of uberparent who went from being just a regular father to this hippy freak who went about hugging everyone regularly & insisting we all talk about every single little bullshit issue as if it was of earth shattering importance. After the forum every previously normal conversation went something like this;
‘So dave when you drink the last of the milk and put the empty carton back into the fridge, it tells me that you don’t care what the rest of the family does for milk.
Dave hates this bull shit and would get mad and resort to sarcasm with something like-Gee dad, you are right, I really don’t give a rats arse what the rest of you bastards do for milk. I am a terrible son.
I see what you are doing. You are hiding behind sarcasm & laconic humor. It is because western men are conditioned to do this when they are in pain and feeling defensive. It is only once you learn to feel your feelings that you will be capable of taking responsibility for your actions.”
It was Dave that my other brother Matt and I had to thank for our weird Christmas gift that year. At the time he was in his first year of uni and following a longstanding fresher tradition of drinking ½ his body weight in beer every single night. While most slow down by second semester Dave just kept drinking. My parents were getting worried that after a full year of this he might be getting a bit of a problem. My mum wanted him to have a chat with the family GP about cutting back or maybe going to AA or something, but Dad decided that the forum was the answer to everything including alcohol. My other brother and I got sent along for the ride just because it was supposed to be this “amazing” weekend. I as looking forward to it as much as root canal work. When I begged my mum not to make me go I was told that it had cost a lot to get tickets & it would really hurt dad’s feelings if I didn’t. I was also told that she imagined it would be much like catholic school retreat but without all the god stuff & I would probably have a great time once I was there. For those of you who did not endure catholic school, I should point out that every girl puts up with the cringe worthy cheezyness of retreat weekend because they are educated in a single sex environment and would volunteer to jump in front of a bus if it meant meeting boys. The indignity of singing this little light of mine is far outweighed by the excitement to the point of passing out of meeting some of the boys from the local Jesuit school. But I digress.
My Mother had not attended the forum we think because deep down she suspected it was utter nonsense. But we flew to Melbourne, spent the night seeing the sights and having a few cold ones then got up bright and early the next day for this life changing weekend. We walk in take a seat and get told that you cant sit with anyone you know but you also cant talk to the kid you are next to unless it is part of the exercise. Weird! But anyway I sit down next to this other guy who I think is cute and matt raises an eye at me & the guy in charge tells him you cant make faces or gesticulate. I am beginning to think this guy in charge is something of a tool. It is sad cause he is really cute in a muscular American black guy sort of way. But his voice sounds like something from a late night telemarketer tv show. I soon feel really sleepy & I need the ladies bad. We aren’t allowed to go to the loo till the designated break period though. Damn Dave for buying all that beer! I tried to think of something else when trainer dude came right up to me and said that if he wanted to he could overpower me. It was pretty creepy. I didn’t think this was allowed. Just like a catholic school retreat my arse I thought. Just as I was wondering what to do Dave tapped him on the shoulder and said
Nobody threatens my little sister mate
Matt echoed yeah in a less confident voice.
The trainer asked whether getting violent would be a working choice dave said they should step outside and see. I should add that this guy was a lot bigger than my brothers.
The trainer then backed down and said it was good that they had chosen to defend their little sister and life is about choices blah blah. At the toilet break we said we were leaving and the trainer said it was for the best & that our dad would not get a refund cause we were a disgrace.
The boys went to the footy that afternoon & I think I just went to bed. My dad never made us go again
