Hi again.
In reference to my personal experiences in Bethel, what I would like to do is just post the information as it comes to me. At this time there will not really be any chronological order. I will simply troll the replies to my first post, "Bethelites are Jerks! Your Comments?" And sort of reminisce.
If you find it boring, please feel free to not read it. As I mentioned in the other thread, these are my memories and, although I try to be accurate and fair, I might err in some detail or other.
I, too, met some fine people in Bethel. Some friendships have lasted the 30 years since I left. I can't believe that it has been 30 years!
One thing I remember my mom saying when I left in 1972 was, "I wish you had never gone there; it has changed you and made you bitter." She wasn't being critical, it just hurt her to see the change in me.
On the good side, I began working out with weights there and when my mom did see me for the first time in 2 years (I couldn't take a vacation one year for some reason I can't recall) she walked right past me in a small regional airport without recognizing me. I was the ONLY passenger in the lobby. Made me feel sort of cool. At least I gained something from my time in Bethel.
One of my best table assignments while I was in Bethel was at Ed Dunlap's table. For those of you who don't know about the Bethel arrangements, we were assigned on some sort of a rotating basis to take our meals with various table heads (spiritually mature men who sat at the head of a table that had room for about 10 people if I remember correctly). This was at a time when everyone fit in the original 124 (?) building dining room. Anyway, Ed and his wife (I believe she was Australian) were among the nicest people I met at Bethel or among the witnesses for that matter.
By the time I was rotated to their table I was already jaded and disillusioned about the place. They were both nice to me and respectful of each member of their table. Ed's wife was sweet and talkative. She once asked me, "Why are you so quiet?" I replied, "Only a fool speaks when he has nothing to say." I still regret my answer because it just popped out and I really did not mean to be flip or disrespectful to her. It wasn't until later while leaving the table that one of my buddies at the table asked me why I had put her down. I was shocked that what I had said had appeared that way. I had really not meant for it to come out like that. Moreover, I was still a teen-ager. I just said the first thing that popped into my head.
I can't remember if I apologized to her or not later. I think I did. But, they still treated me and everyone with the greatest kindness. I was distressed to find out what happend to Ed later.
James2300 said: "Marcos--LOL on the Fred Franz thing. I knew a closet gay bethelite that used to be Franz's nurse/caretaker for a time. I wonder if it's the same guy. By the way, do you think Fred Franz was gay? I've heard different things."
It may have been the same closet gay bethelite that you remember. The most interesting thing was that he was really in a snit about Freddy inviting me up to his room. Me, I looked at it as a short interview with the man closest to God on earth at that time. I was awed by being privileged to share a glass of home-made wine and talk with him for a while.
Thing is, Freddy was charismatic. At least I thougt so. It never entered into my mind that there was the remotest possibility that he was gay. That being said, there was another sub-culture at that time in Bethel.
At that time the Society had just built a brown brick buiding on the corner opposite the 107 building and slightly down the street from the 124 building. They had an indoor swiming pool (for baptisms only of course). And we young guys would go there and swim (oh what pagans we were). There was also a sauna. On cold nights we would go there and swim then soak up the heat in the sauna. We used to see how hot we could take it. Several of us stayed in until the heat actually changed our voices (temporarily). It was like when someone inhales helium.
My memory is that all of us were pretty macho guys. Nothing going on there.
However, I was clued in that the real "action" was in the old 124 building in the steam room. I had never been in a steam room. Talk was that several nights a week, Freddy would be there and would actually talk to the young guys about deep spiritual points.
I decided to give it a try. Well, that is where I met Freddy and at one point he invited me up to chat in his room. The thing about the steam room crowd was that they all seemed pretty normal to me. Some of the guys were actually cool. But, the overall atmosphere was sort of a self-righteous adulation room. I didn't continue to go after 3 or 4 visits.
It wasn't until years later that I even thought about the gay connotations of a steam room. It just did not occur to me.
I should say again that most of the guys (at least most of the people I associated with) were young and innocent. We really had very little experience in life. I wasn't raised a witness but I had been in since I was in grade school and, therefore, had very little idea about sex. Hell, when I finally came to live in Mexico I was shocked at how brazen and ill-spoken people in general are. Seriously. In our little corner of the world, the worst word any of us kids knew was "cabron"; roughly equivalent to a**hole. And we never used that word.
It is interesting to note that, in every area where there are people, there are sub-groups within sub-groups. In my sub-group as a kid we were cut off from input from Mexico and cut off from the world in general. We thought the "yanquis" were gross in the way they spoke English and we had an idealized view of the "Mother Country", Mexico.
Well, I think I said these thoughts would be out of sync and disjointed. If I didn't, I'm telling you now.
Dear joy2bfree, the title of the thread was to gain attention, heh, heh, heh. Looks like I accomplished that! BTW, I always thought the housekeepers were real sweet sisters. Can't think of one run-in I had with any of you.
But, rumor had it that you all were used to spy on us. Please do not take the following the wrong way. I am going to relate what we thought and were told at the time, I don't mean to be gross. We were told that you went through our drawers (the ones made out of plywood) and that you checked every day to make sure that the young brothers were having wet dreams and not taking the alternative route, if you know what I mean.
Actually, the only going through the drawers action I am aware of is when one brother returned from the factory early one day and caught one of the home servants going through his drawers and other personal effects. When confronted, the servant said that "these are OUR drawers and if you don't want us going through them, get out!", or something to that effect.
The other "intrusion" was Sophie (the nurse, bless her heart, I still love her). She would just barge into your room if you were sick without knocking or anything. Foiled her one day when I lived in the Towers Hotel. That building had chain locks on the doors (grin). One day my buddy and I both stayed home from the factory. We were slightly ill and decided "what the hell, let's just join forces in one room and talk all day." It was my room. Sophie came and slammed open the door and almost lost her tray of medicines because we had the chain locked! She about had a fit. She was usually soooo cool. But this time she was as mad as a wet hen. Sent my buddy packin' back to his room. He came back about an hour later when she was safely out of the building.
The other nurse was (at that time) a younger woman named Barb(?). We just called her Sarge. She was unpleasant and pushy. I listened to her chew out a lot of the young brothers for little reason. She did it to me once. Then, unexplicably, I think she fell in love with me. She chewed me out about something in front of several people and then got on an elevator. I got on after her and tore her a new aperture. Told her what everyone thought of her and that she needed to cool her jets and show other people a little respect. I was MAD. She said, "Ok," and never uttered another harsh word to me ever. She actually was sweet to me after that. Guess no one had ever dared challenge the medical heirarchy before. (More about the ER crew later, if I remember.)
That's all for now, gotta get some work done. Later,
Marcos