Any fond memories, lessons or other positive aspects of The

[cleveland]

Ha Ha! I don't know about that! Those High School kids kicked my ass somedays...

It's probably more about growing up in an alcoholic family - "mom, dad - stop fighting, please!"

But thanks for the compliment. :razz:

[Anonymous]

::birthday::

[Scout]

I have good and bad memories of the seed and my time there but my life today is determined by the choices I make now, not by what happened 30 years ago.  

I was put into the seed at 15 yrs old after my older siblings were already on the program.. both court ordered.  I had smoked pot only 2 times (both times with the same person), and drank alcohol many times.  When I was in my intake interview, staff had gone out to the group and asked if anyone had ever done drugs with me and people said they smoked pot many times and had done speed with me....complete lies (the one person I smoked pot with was not in the seed at the time, but came on the program after me).  Anyway, that sealed my fate and I was put on the front row that day.  I remember telling my oldcomer that they lied but of course, no one believed me.

So, here I am 30 years later.  Do I have a great life...absolutely.  Is it because of the seed?  By all means, not completely.  The time I spent there and the tools they taught me definitely gave me a leg up on life.  Did I miss out on the last years of my high school, Yes.  Those years were full of turmoil and lonliness.  I threw out all my old pictures, yearbooks and memories of my life back then that I can never replace. I look back and wish I hadn't done that but what the heck, it's over and it's water under the bridge.          

This forum is a great way to finally talk about all those years with people that understand.  I have tried over the years to explain but I just get blank stares looking back at me.  I even meet up with my old highschool clique once a year as sort of a reunion (boy, did I break the rules.. no old druggie friends).  Did they all end up in jail or dead...obviously not.  I wouldn't trade places with them though and I would not change my past if it meant not having the life I do now.  

So, my point is that it's good to talk about, understand it, grieve a little for lost years, be grateful for the good parts, and vow to be an involved, attentive, loving, parent who would not put my child in a program like the seed or any other program.  

Enough for now.

Scout

[Anonymous]

Scout - Where are you from or what seed were you in?
 I probably know you. I don't remember a scout.  Whats you first name or initals? I was around 32 years ago.  Believe me I remember just about everyone and everything.   :exclaim:

[Anonymous]

Scout if you are from St.Pete I probably won't remember you- :exclaim:

[Antigen]

On 2004-10-01 06:21:00, cleveland wrote:

Personally, I can't understand why anyone wants to yell at another person who went through the Seed, no matter what your experience there was.

I understand it very well. For most of my childhood, people who spoke fondly of The Seed were dangerous to my wellbeing. And I had to pretend to love The Seed as much as anyone. It made me ill.

To me, hearing someone talk about how wonderful The Seed was is about like a Jew listening to someone go all nostalgic about the glory days of the Third Reich. Glad you had fun, folks, but I really wasn't having such a good time.

Innocence implies the ability to restrain from the initiation of aggression, and to question those who don't.
http://www.MisesRomania.org' target='_new'>Sorin Cucerai

[rjfro22]

Antigen,
               To compare the Seed  to the
hologaust is beyond my believe, do you not understanfd the horror the jews have suffered.
I have never heard anyone form the hologaust talk about how it  saved thier  lives. I do unstand you had problems being at the Seed, but many of us got the message and got on with our lives. i am sure you did not mean it to that extreme, I hope .....  
Besides I am not a Seed lifer, I am just grateful and have good memories of what it did for me and it was'nt always easy.

[Scout]

Ginger, I don't know you but I understand the cloud that you lived under as a sibling of seed kids..  Because my siblings were in the program for about 2 years before I was, there was always the threat of my going onto the program if I screwed up.  I went to open meetings for 2 years every Friday.  My friends became distant from me for fear that if I went into the seed, that I would rat them out, which of course, I did once I entered the program.  

I remember my friends were not allowed to come over to my house because my olders siblings used drugs and had pretty bad reps.  That was before the seed.  Then, once they went in, my friends still couldn't come over to my house because we were involved with the seed.  The program totally comsumed my life and my families life from the time I was 13 years old.  But then again, so did the drugs and the trouble that goes along with it consume our lives before the seed.  So which is worse?  I know my parents were just trying to do the right thing and they were pretty much at their wits end.  They put me on the front row cuz they thought I was next.  I might have done the same thing if I were them and were looking for help.  What they didn't know was that the seed would alienate us kids from them and cause a much wider communication gap.  Remember parents rap??

Anyway, just thoughts.  And yea, I did go into the St. Pete seed.

[Anonymous]

Antigen,
Did your family live in Melrose park in the 70's?
I really liked your family.  Although I did not know them well. I think If I'm remembering correctly you were a really cute little girl at the open meetings.  Sorry you still feel the same .  What I don't understand is your family probably hasn't been involved in over 30 yrs. Maybe I missed some posts. Why is this still so upsetting to you?

[GregFL]

Scout, maybe we know each other if you went to the St Pete Seed. Email me at [email protected].

Look foward to hearing from you.

And for those that dont understand how Ginger feels, it is because you walked in different shoes and processed your time in the Seed Cult differently than she did.

Simple as that.

[GregFL]

On 2004-10-01 08:07:00, Scout wrote:



So, my point is that it's good to talk about, understand it, grieve a little for lost years, be grateful for the good parts, and vow to be an involved, attentive, loving, parent who would not put my child in a program like the seed or any other program.  



Enough for now.



Scout "

Right on point in my opinion...except I personally dont have any good parts to share. It all was so negative for me, the whole entire experience I can not think of one positive I took from it.

Except the old adage That which does not kill you makes you stronger.  I really didnt need that knowledge at 14 years old.

[Anonymous]

I really wanted to hear from Antigen -Greg

[Anonymous]

Greg - Do you have any contact with any family(parents or siblings?)Were you at Broward ST Pete & Straight Inc?

[Antigen]

On 2004-10-01 12:18:00, rjfro22 wrote:

"Antigen,

               To compare the Seed  to the

hologaust is beyond my believe, do you not understanfd the horror the jews have suffered.

Yes I do. Do you understand that the Third Reich came to power in 1933? That they didn't start off w/ work camps and mad scientists doing horrible experiments on inmates, but as a "grass roots" movement to improve German culture?

Point is, I'm not comparing The Seed to the Holocaust. I do, however, compare the war on (certain unpatentable) drugs to the third riech. Just substitute one scapegoat for another. If anything, The Seed, Straight and some other organizations are directly comperable to the Hitler Jugund.

Wally said he can't understand why anyone would want to yell at another former Seedling. I was trying to explain that.  

Scoundrels are predictable, but you're a man of honor and that frightens me.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671877046/' target='_new'> Robert Heinlein, Glory Road.

[Antigen]

On 2004-10-01 12:47:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Antigen,

Did your family live in Melrose park in the 70's?

I really liked your family.  Although I did not know them well. I think If I'm remembering correctly you were a really cute little girl at the open meetings.  Sorry you still feel the same .  What I don't understand is your family probably hasn't been involved in over 30 yrs. Maybe I missed some posts. Why is this still so upsetting to you?   "

No, Lyons Park in Pompano Beach. You probably did know my family, as we were involved pretty constantly from around `70 till at least `78 or so.

It still bothers me because it destroyed my family. Not just a little tention here and there in the midst of an otherwise decent family relationship. I mean I haven't spoken w/ my mother since the last time she tried to force me to go into treatment, which was only around 12 years ago. She remains convinced that, because I smoked pot when I was 15 and didn't graduate the Program, that I must still be a druggieinneedoftreatment.

But that's just personal business. The reason why I try to get some public light on the subject is because of the overwhelming power these same drug warriors have in public policy.

Did you know, for example, that DARE is not a curriculum but a psychological program and that the president of the corporation is a very powerful former Seed parent? I don't know about you, but I don't want that crazy old bat anywhere near my kids' heads!

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
-- Albert Einstein