Where are all the St Pete Seed peeps??

[GregFL]

BTW Shelly, you were in the Seed in 73/74.  Do you remember my step sister Shirley...married John L?

Stripe, I do remember a bridgett but I can't place the face right now.

Shelly....part of the ole Lakewood early clan!


What is your opinion of your time there?
I love to here from Lakewood High Kids, especially since my entire life turned upside down and I had to run for it while at lakewood, never to return.

I made a class of 77 reunion a few years back and saw some kids that were in the Seed with us...Rick B...Speedy B....and a few others.


once again...GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU. I am disapointed you don't remember me. If you have an old annual, look me up.

[GregFL]

Hey Shelly, speaking of Arthur...you remember his stories about having a car he kept together with rope and coat hangers?

He was scary, but he was also nice. I really don't know what happened to him.

anyone?

[GregFL]

On 2005-06-17 19:20:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

She was from somewhere around the St Pete area  - she referred to it is as "the home of the newly wed and nearly dead."

Actually, we referred to the ENTIRE state of Florida as "the home of the newly wed and nearly dead" since I moved there in 1969 :lol: "

There is an old joke that goes something like this.


People from up north save up all their life and when they get old they move to florida...

to be near their parents in St Pete.

hehe

[Anonymous]

Don't know what happened to Arthur, but does anyone remember Arthur sometime in 74 / 75 having to use a cane? I never really knew if he injured himself or had phlebitus(sp) but I remember for a good period of time he was really limping around. The visual is almost a dopleganger of Sam Jackson as the "glass man" in M Night Shamylan's movie "Unbreakable". He was quite intimidating with his physical presence, but he was actually one of the nicest staff members there was and he was very sentimental.

[GregFL]

Arthur was senior staff in St Pete. One day he disappeared and we heard he was back working in Lauderdale.

several months later he came back for our christmas party and served us food.  That was the last I ever heard of him


One of you longtimers let us know what happened to him please.

[JaLong]

Hello Robin,
I have found this sight from our mutual friend. I've been reading some of the posts from different parts, and does it bring back memories. There are still a lot of former "seed" adults living here in St.Pete. I still have the seed t-shirt, believe it or not. One thing I will say about the seed is, I did get off of the dope and drink, yet I had a lot of emotional issues after that. Especially fear. I remember as if it were yesterday, raising my hand to talk, but I always hid behind someone because I really didn't want to talk. Then there was a time an old boyfriend of mine came in just to get me out. He was being "full of sh**", and some girls started pointing to me that I knew him. Arthur made me stand up and "tell him where he was at." I told him, but whispered to him I didn't mean it.
School was another trip. I went to Bogie, and I remember saying " I can't talk to you, and I love you." I got kicked, punched, and things thrown at me everyday in classes and the hallways.
I know when the seed closed and Art ran with a lot of money, the Semblers asked even my parents if they wanted to help them start Straight.Thank God they declined. Rumor was that Art and his wife were confronted by some of the staff, whom he fired. Some parents who gave money also confronted him, and he ran. What would have happened to any of us if we tried to run??? I had a newcommer who tried to run one night as we were heading for the car, and I took off running after her, grabbed her long hair and threw here to the ground. I'd say that was battery today. I'm done for now. I am glad I found this site. I see some people still haven't gotten over their experience of the seed, and are very angry peeps. That time was way in the past. We can't chance the past, yet we can change today, and every day. Take care. J

[JaLong]

Hey,
I remember Arthur very well. He hurt his leg in a car accident. I was in that clinic with him when he was on bedrest. I heard a long time ago that Arthur died. A guy I know was staff in 73 told me that. I really liked Arthur. I spent a lot of time with him in the clinic, after I came back from being home for a month when I had mono, the flu, and a kidney infection. Do you remember Mary Chapin? She to died in a severe car accident a few years back. Her memorial service was flowing with people outside the chapel, and very beautiful. It was so sad having to see the family, and give my condolences.
Later  :smile:

[GregFL]

Welcome Jalong!

I was there with you and am happy you are here.

As far as Some people not being over their seed experience..a couple things.

First, some were way over it but are confronting issues they buried. It is not unusual, kind of like self therapy, when you revisit old baggage to feel some emotions...anger, pain, regret.  It doesn't mean these people have been living for 30 years in anger over this.

The anger will pass and with it usually comes more understanding. It is a positive process I believe.

Oters Jalong, believe it or not, were involved until recently. These people have immediate issues...very different than those of us 15 or 16 years old. These people stayed involved until they were 40!  

Since you are here, tell us something you remember about your time there.  For instance, were you there when we would get the protesters and we would have to go outside during exercise time in front of them and do the hokey-pokey...just for additional humiliation?

[shellygillette]

I don't remember Shirley but I certainly remember Frieda.  I remember geting stood up, always by Arthur, and being freaking so scared he could "see: into my head.  It was during the gas shortage and when I was an oldcomer I would have to get up really early, like 5am, to get in line for gas, take my newcomers to the Seed (on the other side of town) and get to Lakewood on time.  I remember getting slammed into my lockers at school because I couldn't talk to my old friends and despartely wanting to hand them a note telling them to leave me alone until I got out of the program but not doing it because I was too scared of starting over.  I remember Frieda having a very hard time.  Arthur was all over my shit and seemed to pick on me relentlessly.  Glad you  guys are here.

[JaLong]

Hello Greg,
I was in the seed in 73 for 10 1/2 months. My parents had one of those phoney court orders that judge was handing out like candy. I was considered a "buster", so I got a lot of "buster" newcomers. By the way, I am Julie B. Yes, I was married to Jeff B. I have already mentioned some of the seed kids who have died, but I forgot one very dear friend of mine, Steve Cason. Remember him? He died from a massive heart attack.
As far as the seed was concerned, yes, it saved my life. Almost all of my old friends who I hung with are dead, and who use to gather at the parking lot to the left yelling my name out. It got so bad staff made me stay inside during exercises. I didn't even know who Julie was before I went in there. I came out with a small amount of who I was, but I was so full of fear in there and when I got out, it was too overwhelming. I just stuffed it for years, and hung at the guys house. There I felt I could be myself, and also felt very loved. I hated the seed with a passion for years, yet once I grew up a little more I realized I was no longer a druggie, or a drunk. Now I definatly know who I am, and have for many years. I did have to go to counseling, and thank God she knew all about the seed and the way they tore us all down, and then built back up the same way. I walked around school, and outside like a darn robot, until I finally just stopped going to old timer meetings. Of course I was "screwing up" as far as others thought. But that's one part of me I never lost. I never cared what others thought about me. God and I knew what I was doing. I also never lost my faith and spirituality. I feel very happy with my life now. I have been through a lot in my life, yet I look at them as stepping stones. Each trial I go through makes me stronger and closer to my God. I found it funny that the seed had only 10 steps. The ones that were left out were all about finding a higher power, and living a spiritual life. Well I live my life that way now. I'll continue another time. Take care till then. Greg, remind me who you are OK? Thanks,Julie

[GregFL]

Yes, my sister did have a very hard time.

One of the hard things was the wedge that was driven between us.  I hardly saw her during the seed except when they stood her up to humiliate her or vise versa. At home we were scared to talk every word was scrutinized and you didn't even know if you could trust your own family members. At 16 I had to get out of St pete or be thrown back in, and then  It took my sister and I years to recover our relationship.  Our family never really did recover from this fully.

For some reason Shelly I remember details about everybody including you. If I close my eyes I can see a 16 year old Shelly Gillette with a pretty smile and long blonde hair.

Yes, the kids at lakewood were anything but nice to us seed kids. They taunted us, called us names, the girls would teasingly flirt with me just to arise a reaction...the boys would try to fight or as you said, throw you against the locker. All the while I was petrified that Someone would (and often did) go back to staff and tell on me for some percieved anti-seedling action.  It was absolute terror and hell for me. The seedling table in the lunchroom was our only santuary where no one would mess with us.

If you want to talk to me, you can over on the left hit private messages and then leave one for Gregfl, or you can email me at [email protected].

[GregFL]

Steve Cason died? How sad. He went to lakewood with me, and I knew him in middle school as well.

Bennet Beverly died also, killed himself.

Dave leverone, drug overdose.

Julie, welcome!  What school did you go to?

[JaLong]

Good morning Greg,
I went to Bogie. I had dropped out in 10th grade, and then during the seed I went back to finish high school. It was amazing how even some teachers hated seed kids. I had a history teacher who kept giving me f's all the time, even though I knew the work. I got A's and B's in all my other classes. A lot of my old friends still were in school, or they would be waiting for me when I drove into the parking lot. I'd get surrounded at times, and man was I scared. I held my ground though, and in time they left me alone. My sister Kathy had to come in or I "wouldn't ever be able to go home." She tried weed 1 time. The seed really messed her up, and also my younger sister. My younger sister lost most of her friends, and of course she felt as if all the attention went to me. She was only 12 at the time.
I remember one time coming home from the seed with 3 newcomers in the car, and my old friends had the road blocked with 3 cars. I went up into peoples yards just to get into our driveway and run into the house. The next morning, my parents whole garage door was full of Seed Sucks stickers. :roll: Those were the days of the great seed. Not!! Talk to you soon,
Julie
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[GregFL]

Julie, do (did?) you have red hair?

My sister remembers you.  

Also, you said your parents did not help start straight, Inc.

Recognize their name here? This list includes those on the original and subsequent boards of straight, Inc.


http://www.thestraights.com/people/stra ... dstinc.htm

[JaLong]

Hello Greg,
I read the list, and I recognize so many names on there. The most surprising one is my ex's father, Ray Bourgholtzer. He has been a thorn in my side for too many years. Mainly because I had my 3rd child in 1990 when I was still Bourgholtzer, and I gave her that last name. He wants me to change it, and I said I would if he's going to pay for it. :wink: I'll talk to you soon.
God Bless,
Julie
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