seed'70

[Antigen]

I often wonder what must have gone through my mom's head when she went looking for my druggie ties. I did't have any. I had a diary that she had given me. But I never wrote much in it. I'd always tried to take up the habit, as I'd learned that all the best thinkers, authors and other accomplished and respected people had done that. But I was always scared to write anything important; anything I wouldn't want my mom to read. I think I knew from the time I was about 10 or so that, eventually, Mom would put me in the program. I knew the script, so I never dared give her anything that, in that alternate reality of hers, would constitute a warning sign or smoking-gun evidence.

She did throw out a bunch of stuff. Stole my guitar and hid it in her attic for a number of years. Lied and told me she'd given it away, then gave it back to me along w/ some old school stuff and an mi book some years later.

Still got the guitar, too, though it needs new strings and I never play it anymore.

It really puzzles me to see Marijuana connected with Narcotics - Dope and all that crap?it's a thousand times better than whiskey - it's an Assistant - a friend.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002ORZ/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'>Louis Armstrong

[tom s.]

I don't recall a Dupont or any reps from anywhere.It seems in the time between my two seed sojourns they had absorbed a lot of new members,old staffers returned,and new ones knighted.Now I recall that Mavis Was there,so that means Happy was too.There were a few entrusted from the group to lead meetings and were possibly acting staff members.Renee was a tough n.y.B,but had an enduring sense of humor.Rick and Linda were a married staff couple of mediocre temperment.Rick was pretty funny.Linda was nice.Charley Oats appeared to be deeply sincere about learning human nature and discussing his lifes' mistakes in those terms.He was a great group leader and a tough staff member.He had a wiley way about him as though the nature of true deviousness was awash in his system and an incredibly believable infectious smile.His eyes twinkled when he did grin,but I could not pinpoint the something in myself that distrusted him.There was an indescribeable edge he had or exuded that perhaps not everyone picked up on.That feeling always made me darkly aware of his presence.He had his heart grabbed by Darlene who was just as deeply sly and a discussion leader and staffer of rank.She was tough and perhaps fair and reminded me of howdy doody-red hair-freckles-howdys'face-what can I say.I heard her and Charley got married.I even heard that they went and shot up together.I can't even imagine what that would have done to their relationship.There was a Maureen also.There was this young lady named Donna who by her good nature alone I think slid quietly into the upper echelon.We were all singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"led by Art of course,and he was looking through the crowd inquisitively like someone trying to pinpoint a bacon-cheeseburger with their nose-and I realized what he was searching for.Quite a few of us caught on.It was the unmistakeable voice of an Irish Angel.My god what a voice.Art asked her if she wouldn't mind singing it for us all alone and she obliged.I gotta tell you I had goosebumps and tears!She was tall with dark hair and a very kind face and a nice disposition.I would love to hear her sing again.I believe she became a staff member,but I bet it was too strenuous or should I say her strength probably overcame the piousness necessary to continue in that mode.I draw a blank on other staffers but I know they were there.

[GregFL]

You know whats strange Tom?

By the time I got there in 73, to my knowledge every single one of those people were not associated with the seed anymore. I could be wrong because I spent my sentence up in St Pete, but I remember not even one of them being spoke about at all.

So it was with the Seed...in one minute and swinging at the top, out the next minute and no one even whispered your name anymore.

What a weird little closed society it was...

[rjfro22]

Tom S.
           You  have a remarkable memory. Didn't Rick and Linda Get married at the seed?  Maureen was also a tough girl from NY, also had a major habit, she had auburn redish hair and bad teeth, but actually very good looking, she was bout 24 at the time, she was fighting to get her baby girl back and Art  helped get her baby back. She was wonderful, I really loved her. I rember Darlene and her younger brother from the early andrews ave days. I also remember the hot seat ( toilet cover)

[Thom]

Thanks Tom and rjfro22 for that 'refresher'

 I remember all of those people, and my impressions of them are very similar to yours. I was early Andrews, and SR 84. Just a kid, I had never met a junkie before then, to my knowledge. Tough bunch of folk! I seem to recall a toilet being used as the hot seat, I guess they got tired of lugging it out from the back room.

   I liked Charlie and Darlene, sad to hear they may have returned to artificial joy. I hope they pulled out of it, if it's true.

I really enjoyed the singing too. The story you tell of Irish Eyes, and Art scanning the group really sounds familiar, but I'm not certain I was there. Was that Andrews, under the tarp?

Remember John Murphy from Boston? I used to get a kick out of the way he said part. Sounded like pot. He would throw out a question, and accept multiple responses. To each he would say, "That's pot", if they were anywhere near the topic, that is. Many of us would snicker when he did that. Giddy little pot-heads that we were.

When I became a 'born again newcomer' next time around, it was on SR84. I used to sing with 'The New Crusty Nostrals' I married one of the young ladies in that group. Lasted about 2 years, as I recall.

One day, Art took us all to his house to hear his sterio. The speakers were the largest I had seen in a home. The sound was incredible. He said the sound was very much like being onstage, in the center of a Big Band. Made a jazz fan out of me, My Wife and I are enjoying some right now.

Another time, may have been same day, prior to the home tour, he took a bunch of us to the restaurant of a local golf club for lunch. Jacaranda? Not sure. Fanciest place I had been in to that point.

Since I was a compliant client, I missed all the strip searches, escorts to the bathroom, hot seat, etc., that left so many here scarred for life.

Hey, thanks again for sharing (if I may use that word) your memories with such vivid detail!

[Thom]

On 2005-09-20 09:52:00, Antigen wrote:

"I often wonder what must have gone through my mom's head when she went looking for my druggie ties. I did't have any.

She must have had old information. Most people were using zip lock bags by then

[Anonymous]

Tom S. You sure do have a great memory.  I was at the Seed on 3rd Avenue and then Andrews but only a little while on Andrews.  I remember Hap and Mavis.  They actually lived behind my best friend when I was a kid.  On 3rd Avenue we used to listen to the sterio on breaks if you can believe it.  I sure do remember Darlene and boy was I afraid of her and Lybbi.  I then went back into the Seed on SR 84 where I stayed for many years.  Thanks for all of the memories.

[tom s.]

A lot of people remember Libbi or Lybbi.She mind surfed between the psyches of many staffers apparently to stay w/Art for many years.Arts' wife was always behind him,but it appears Lib was there also.Nothing intended.I had a friend that lived behind the old seed no.1.:Larry.I lived there too on the next road for a while w/my bro in law and sister.Larry had a dad who was deaf and at that time seemed to be considered less of a person.Hard to f'n believe that crap could happen here.Larry had sniffed a bit too much something so they say.I liked the kid.We were a year apart with b'days on the same day.Art came down on his butt like a buffalo when his dad was missing some pills and I was responsible because we were into the medicine cabinet.I've felt bad for years.Larry was a good kid.They went back to Hawaii soon after.A fellow named Rick came to the newer seed on Andrews.He said"you can call me Rick,or Richard,or Nihasa or Grady, whatever you want.Art came down on him loud and hard saying this guy doesn't know who he is and that is a result of a drug orientated way of thinking.Rick and I became friends and he explained Nihasa was an Indian devil or spirit that he felt energy from.I accepted that.Art could not deal with that.Rick left, naturally.Rick and I used to practice esp tests with other members.We would line up coins on the stairs in the back and hold our fingers over the ones we though someone was thinking of.It appeared to work much of the time.The idea came from a book out of the library.Art was quite phobic about that sort of behaviour.We(me,Rick and Larry)knew we had a niche in his armor.It just bugged Art for us to play wizard with him.

[Anonymous]

Hey, tom s ... Did you have a buddy Huck F.? :grin:

[GregFL]

Tell us a story about Becky.


 :grin:  :grin:

[Anonymous]

I know a raft story about a cuban but thats about it :grin:

[tom s.]

I did not know anyone named Huck,but our cat was called Huck.He just ran off a couple months ago.I did know a Becky.She and her sister were red heads at the seed.Becky was 18 in '71 and her sister was 16 or 17.I thought they were pretty cool.There was also a tall Becky that I can barely remember,but no- wait,that was in 6'th grade-never mind.

[tom s.]

I remember In my 2'nd seedling incarnation in '71 I arrived to hear Art talking about this kid who brought his sister to a party where she drank the remaining punch from the punch bowl that had been laced w/thc.Problem was-those days strychnine was used in quantity-usually in acid tabs,and the majority of the poisen was at the bottom of the bowl.Art blamed the kid for not telling his sister about the t,but I don't think he would have intended her to have been poisened.God,what a guilt trip that poor boy was put through,and what a horrible ending his sister embarked on as she struggled to maintain awareness in the seed as the muscles in her face on one side began to drag down and all she would finally say was "help me,please".This is absolutely true because I knew the doctor who personally had her admitted to the hospital.The girls' parents attempted to sue the doctor,but really all he did was to get her in the doors and to a room.No one knew how to treat her.At one point he asked me what I would have done and for the first time I had to agree with Arts' technique of high doses of niacin.It's really a very sad and terrible state of events to have had to know that had happened to any innocent life.I had heard that an autopsy had shown that one side of her brain had disintegrated.There's more horror in that story than I care to remember but I can't get it out of my mind.

[Ft. Lauderdale]

Tom a sad story.

Now we can just wait ansd see how Greg or Antigen can twist this one around.  They will probably start with something like...  oh well... ya'all's guess is as good as mine.

[Antigen]

Are you playing, tom s?

A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special

--Nelson Mandela