Christmas at Straight Inc.

[ladyjerrico]

I would like to know, since there are many "straightlings" (bad term) out there.. what was Christmas like in that facility? I was there from April to Nov. so I was not going to tolorate that!

If you care to share, please let me know. When I left I wasn't happy of the thought to know that people couldn't even celebrate holidays "normally" with family and friends.

Such a sad time

[ This Message was edited by: ladyjerrico on 2002-03-10 05:52 ]

[kaydeejaded]

Christmas was really depressing (give in) in Boston we sang Christmas songs for hours and got one present. I was on 1st phase both times Christmas rolled around. It just sucked. That is all I can remember, singing and one present, that was (of course) clothing. I got a pair of jeans that did not fit because I had gained so much weight from the last time my parents saw me the 1st year the second I don't think I cared enough to remember. I hate Christmas Carols not sure if it is Straight related or not.

[Kathy]

Interesting.... I hate Christmas carols too. Maybe it is because of the program, I never thought about that..hmm, everyone else just thinks I'm a scrooge.  Oh well, thought that was interesting.    Kathy

[Anonymous]

I have difficulty with the holidays each year for that very reason.  Each time I hear a Christmas song, it puts me right back in group.  The holiday itself doesn't dredge up ill feelings, but the songs do.  When I hear a Christmas song for instance on television during the holidays, I hear 100 adolescent voices singing the same song.  One year I decapitated a troop of carolers at my door and strung thier bleeding heads from my Christmas tree.  Fucking program.

[Kathy]

Gross!

[ladyjerrico]

I'm sorry that Christmas isn't like it used to be before all of you went into the program. It seems like no matter what shred of hope you had in there has torchured you to this day.
I had to be thier during Easter, that is the only recollection of any holiday that was close. I pulled myself a day after my birthday which was Nov. 5th. I didn't even stay for Thanksgiving.
I didn't celebrate that much that year for Christmas, right after I got out and got myself together going to school and getting used to a "normal" life.
Right after Christmas rolled around, a girl who I was an oldcomer for (I was on 2nd phase when I pulled myself out) she ran on me in my father's car, he had the door locked from the inside, she managed to open the window and let herself out, reached around and grabbed the handle from the outside and flew out the door when my dad was stopped at a redlight.
When I pulled myself out, I heard from the police a few days after Christmas and told me that they found her in a crack house in Detroit.
Her father was from Pennsylvania and every Friday and Monday night he would be there for his daughter.. that to me is love!
I don't know what happened to her after the police called me, we notified her father.
I haven't heard about her since then

[Anonymous]

My intake day was Christmas Eve, an open meeting day.  My brother made second phase that night and I spent Christmas in a strangers house.  I will never forget that even if it was twenty years ago.

[ladyjerrico]

That was probably one of the saddest things I've heard on this site. Were you tricked into going?
I can imagine whenever Christmas eve rolls around every year, your saddness overwhelms you.. my heart goes out to you anonymous.

[bettypills]

my intake day was Dec. 15th 1984. just recently I found the Christmas card I made for my mom (coerced? forced? yeah but....) i wonder how do y'all feel about your parents who' after all, made the final decision. I still deal with this one almost 20 years later... on one hand, she was so young and so alone, didn't know  a thing... on the other hand....

[kpickle39]

I went into the program on Dec 26, 1978.  The day after Christmas.  What a fucked up christmas present.  I remember executive staff telling me that this was probably the greatest christmas gift that I ever will get.  They were wrong!

[Kenterprises]

Wow this thread is very depressing :sad:
You know people, I myself this is just my oppinion but,  talking ,relating ,Rap or what ever you want to call it, was not all that bad , to me being incarserated held on to by my belt loops or by the back of my jeans and being detained against my will,not able to go to the bathroom unless someone walked me there that was the bitch about the whole place a person standing at any door area incase someone would "SPLIT"
remember that word everyone would yell? I feel this way If there is going to be such a drug program get rid of the datained attitude. why in the hell dont they buy a old motel or somewhere like wise and have everyone just come down for maybe 4-5 hours a day,  5 days a week  have the weekends off. this whole bullshit where you sit in a fucking seat for 9-12 hours a day is torture.At least if you did not want to be there you had the liberty to walk out like it should be! oh god, I just remembered the Massage group thing where everyone would sit down and line up behind one another and for 5 minutes massage the person in front of you then good old Mrs. Peterman(THE "BITCH" )would blow the whistle and everyone would switch.Remember the time when you were talking to the group about something when you got picked and some prick would start snapping his fingers and trying to get the staffs attention so he could stand up and try to make brownie points to stand up in front of the group interrup you and tell you that you were full of shit that you were hidding something that you have been acting suspiscious or something the next thing you know the whole place has there hands up waiting to come down on you I will never forget stuff like that. I did not make it to christmas but after 6 months on first phase I had enough!!! I want to go ahead and go to jail because at least there My mother could visit me not have to earn the right to talk to her for 5 minutes? against a wall!Im sorry to hear that christmas time is a bad memory for some of you! Just try to remember the real reason for the season Jesus!

[Carmel]

I was put in a few days after my sixteenth birthday.  It was a Friday night, so my first day consisted of the embaressment of an open meeting.  I had to do a mike talk basically 4 hours after I got there.  Not only was I furious at my mother....but I had to listen to her scream at me in front of all these people...not to mention I still was sketchy on why I was even there.  Staff told me after my intake that I was going to be "evaluated" for a few hours and then they would decide whether or not I should stay....yeah, right.

So basically, I had to rattle off this ridiculous drug list and talk about a past incident that I felt guilty for during open meeting...with my teeth clenched and murder in my eyes.

[ladyjerrico]

Wow.. 4 hours after your intake, that was quick compared to mine.. my intake lasted 10 hours.. I arrived at the building about 11 a.m. or so and I also arrived on a Friday.
I was introduced to group at about 9 p.m.
My oldcomers asked me if I wanted something to eat (I didn't eat or drink anything for that long) I refused to eat and told them I wasn't hungry because inside I felt nervous, scared and didn't know what to expect.
It was never told to me that I wouldn't go to my mom's house that night nor would I see my boyfriend again until I got out.. such a sad time of my life

[EarthMother]

My first Christmas in Straight was spent at an oldcomers house. I had been on 1st phase for over 6 months. My host dad made sure I had some presents to open, mostly food-type stuff, candy and nuts, which was nice. Group on the other hand, was awful. Along with the Christmas Carols, which I still hate, Staff asked my brother to talk about his Christmas since he had made 3rd phase already and came in after me. I remember him looking at me the whole time he was talking about the presents my mom gave him and the meal she cooked, with that s.h.i.t.t.y   smirk on his face. Then the staff member asked me how I felt. Not wanting to get started over AGAIN, I said I was happy for my brother and determined to be home with him soon. Actually I wanted to dive across group and break his damn neck.
The next Christmas I was on 5th phase. Standing at the side of group, singing those awful Carols during open meeting and watching my newcomer carve in her arms for 3 hours while being instructed by staff to ignore her or face a start-over.

Merry F'ing Christmas

[ladyjerrico]

I'm sorry to hear about the tragedy everyone has faced during Christmas at Straight.
It would seem to me if I had to deal with that, I don't think I would celebrate it, but only for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I kinda dread the holidays during this supposed "festive" occasion only because my mother whom I lived with for 20 years (now I'm on my own) but every holiday she would bitch and argue and get all angry and stressed out and take it out on me and my sister. I do keep in touch with her, but I stay at my own place on Christmas day.