I was Samech Figtree, anyone remember me, say hello
I was at TSC in 71, Zion, El Paso, Houston, London (Bromley), Italy (Bassetto, Assisi, Pojjiosecco) Iran, Greece. From 71-78. Left in 78 with my wife "Dulcinea". I was never a "leader", was sorta a problem for them because I knew about printing, so I was needed, then I wasn't. I am a tell guy, 6'6". I was mostly involved in the printing. I left when it started to get crazy with wife swapping, and I was always in trouble for my "attitude. I would like to convese with anyone who remembers me. There nare a lot of peolple I loved and have wondered about. There are alot of people who I utterly deplored, but would welcome any reply. I also have a few pix that I squirreled away when I left, because I was in charge of the Photo Lab in Italy (Bassetto, Pojjiosecco)-73-75.
Hi There
I joined in El Paso in August '72. Love and Jasper picked me up hitchhiking. Ben and Ruth were the shepherds then. Joab and Honey (Vashti) became shepherds a few months later. Were you in El Paso then? I was in Vienna in '78 and also left when the sexual weirdness got to be too much.
You mentioned that you had been in Italy. My former husband (Tychicus) and I (Day) were in Naples, Bologna, Padova, Genoa and Turin, all in the span of 8 months during '76 and '77. We came over from Chicago/Montreal to Paris in '74. I had worked mostly taking care of children before that and then in the Paris nursery til mid '75, when we went to Strasbourg. I never was a "leader" either, however my former husband was a district shepherd much of the time we were together ('74-'78), until the re-organization thing happened.
Memories of that time are not all bad, especially early on. There were so many people who were good to me, patient, encouraging and I wish them the very best. I hope your life has turned out well for you and your loved ones. Let me know. I, too, welcome any reply.
Boston/CapeCod/VanCouver/Montreal/Cicero, Illlinois
Is there a forum or a chat room or a physical place to go to to talk and remember/reflect on our Life in the COG so we can heal and be healed and understand why we think some of the things we think?
Re: Hi There
Hi Rachel ~ Ben & Ruth were the shepherds when I was in CapeCod. I actually cut Ruth's beuatiful long hair. I was just going to cut the top layer and we kept talking and I kept cutting and she ended up with a shoulder length shag! I remember people being shocked, especially Ben who probably didn't recognize his wife anymore; Ruth was a real trooper, she just kept saying I love it. I love it. I feel 20lbs. lighter! This was before they left for Europe. I lived in El Paso on Fort Bliss and went to Ross Jr High and Loretto Academy. My brother graduated from Burgess HS and my sister went to Texas Western. We were a military family station at Ft Bliss.
Rachel wrote:
I joined in El Paso in August '72. Love and Jasper picked me up hitchhiking. Ben and Ruth were the shepherds then. Joab and Honey (Vashti) became shepherds a few months later. Were you in El Paso then? I was in Vienna in '78 and also left when the sexual weirdness got to be too much.
You mentioned that you had been in Italy. My former husband (Tychicus) and I (Day) were in Naples, Bologna, Padova, Genoa and Turin, all in the span of 8 months during '76 and '77. We came over from Chicago/Montreal to Paris in '74. I had worked mostly taking care of children before that and then in the Paris nursery til mid '75, when we went to Strasbourg. I never was a "leader" either, however my former husband was a district shepherd much of the time we were together ('74-'78), until the re-organization thing happened.
Memories of that time are not all bad, especially early on. There were so many people who were good to me, patient, encouraging and I wish them the very best. I hope your life has turned out well for you and your loved ones. Let me know. I, too, welcome any reply.
Places on the net
It kind of depends on your perspective, but there are several websites. NewDayNews has a Recovery forum that is staffed by a professional counselor. Many of that website's moderators/coodinators are very supportive people. MovingOn has a chat room; however, this site is for second generation survivors. If you were a first generation member, you may find you're not welcome there by everyone. Exfamily is another website you might want to check out.
Is there a forum or a chat room or a physical place to go to to talk and remember/reflect on our Life in the COG so we can heal and be healed and understand why we think some of the things we think?
Chrysolyte Sparkle
There was a Chrysolyte in El Paso in '72. You didn't mention being in the COG in El Paso, though. She was my age, 16, in '72 with sandy blond hair. Could this be you? My name was Day. I went to Eastwood HS, not to far from Burgess. My dad was stationed at Fort Bliss, too, but we lived off base.
Ben and Ruth...they were such wonderful people, beautiful people. I always thought Ben was striking with his dark, bushy moustache and Ruth, willowy and graceful behind that radiant smile of hers. Those are some good memories I have of that time. I hope they're doing well.
In your other posting you asked about a place to talk about common experiences in the COG and maybe find some healing. I certainly share your thoughts. If you are so inclined, I would enjoy talking more with you.
to Jclearhead/Samech
I remember you and Ducinea very well -- both from Italy and Greece. I was Vessel, married to Lamb (We're still together). I'm new to this forum, so I'm not sure how everything works, but when I figure it out, I'd be happy to swap email addresses with you.
I joined in El Paso in August '72. Love and Jasper picked me up hitchhiking. Ben and Ruth were the shepherds then. Joab and Honey (Vashti) became shepherds a few months later. Were you in El Paso then? I was in Vienna in '78 and also left when the sexual weirdness got to be too much.
You mentioned that you had been in Italy. My former husband (Tychicus) and I (Day) were in Naples, Bologna, Padova, Genoa and Turin, all in the span of 8 months during '76 and '77. We came over from Chicago/Montreal to Paris in '74. I had worked mostly taking care of children before that and then in the Paris nursery til mid '75, when we went to Strasbourg. I never was a "leader" either, however my former husband was a district shepherd much of the time we were together ('74-'78), until the re-organization thing happened.
Memories of that time are not all bad, especially early on. There were so many people who were good to me, patient, encouraging and I wish them the very best. I hope your life has turned out well for you and your loved ones. Let me know. I, too, welcome any reply.
I was in the original team that pioneered El Paso, and I remeber a Jasper. We went out there I think in late '71 with Saul and Endurance, found a house, fixed it up. I think I left, right after or near Christmas, and went to Dallas, then Houston. So I think that maybe I never met you, and it seems that our paths did not meet in Italy either, maybe briefly in Greece. Did I say that we left in March of 78, from Rome, Italt after getting deported from Greece. We were standing in the street when all hell broke loose, because the Red Brigade had just Kidnapped the Irtalian Vice-President, MORO. We were not really welcomed into any colony, and it was a good thing in retrospect, and we left thet day.
I remember you and Ducinea very well -- both from Italy and Greece. I was Vessel, married to Lamb (We're still together). I'm new to this forum, so I'm not sure how everything works, but when I figure it out, I'd be happy to swap email addresses with you.
I remeber you so very well, One of my favorite Brothers. I stiil like to sing that song about keeping my saddle on my horse. It seems like i knew it was getting really weird, when I think your songs were banned or something, and I remeber feeling so hurt for you and didn't really uinderstand what had happened. I am so glad to hear from you. After we left a couple of people left and they visted us in Florida, where we settled near Dulcinea's (JoAnn) parents lived. I have about 30 pictures from that time and I know you are in at least one of them, singing with Debra. This is weird how you just found me here, so soon after I found this place. I had to just try to put it all behind me for the last 30 years and try to have a life I guess Ricky Rodregiz really did a powerful thing and shook us all up. And Yes, Just click the "PM" button and you cna send me a private message. I am going to check now if you are a registered user and I will PM you if I can and send you my email and what pics I have.
I remeber you so very well, One of my favorite Brothers. I stiil like to sing that song about keeping my saddle on my horse. It seems like i knew it was getting really weird, when I think your songs were banned or something, and I remeber feeling so hurt for you and didn't really uinderstand what had happened. I am so glad to hear from you. After we left a couple of people left and they visted us in Florida, where we settled near Dulcinea's (JoAnn) parents lived. I have about 30 pictures from that time and I know you are in at least one of them, singing with Debra. This is weird how you just found me here, so soon after I found this place. I had to just try to put it all behind me for the last 30 years and try to have a life I guess Ricky Rodregiz really did a powerful thing and shook us all up. And Yes, Just click the "PM" button and you cna send me a private message. I am going to check now if you are a registered user and I will PM you if I can and send you my email and what pics I have.
I've sent you an email through PM. It's great to be in touch!
The song about keeping your saddle on your horse was written by Publius, whom I played with in the TSC Band. He left during the first "Homegoing" in the fall/winter of '71. His music was still enjoyed by many, even though it was formally banned (as was all music written by "backsliders"). Within the last year or so, I stumbled onto a copy of a book written by the mother of Ahaz -- singer/songwriter/bass player of the TSC Band, who also left during the first "Homegoing". It's called The Snare of the Fowler, by Frankie Fonde Brogan. It describes in detail the people she met and the situations going on during the time when you and I joined. It's interesting to see the things that she saw as real danger signs, even way back as far as Zion, TSC, and Dallas, when we were all totally oblivious to where things were headed.
I was Samech Figtree, anyone remember me, say hello
Yes, I did get the name confused with the face and the song and all that. I am sure that I know who you are. We spent quite a bit of time in the same places togther. I checked my email and I did get your mesage and will write back soon. I've got to get some sleep and go to work in the Moning. I will send the pic. I have also seen your pic, not the one I have but others, at the other web sites. If you haven't seen them yet, check them out. I remember Lamb, too and can sorta picture her face. It's good that you guys are still together. I do remeber that you guys really loved each other. Keep your eye on some of the pics I post because I don't remeber all these peoples' names and there are some that I really remember fondly and am curious about how they are doing. I've got pics of some of the kids, but I don't remember whose all of them were. I'll scan this one that I know is you and send it tonight. Then I'm off to bed. I'll mtell you more and answer your questions in an email, but I'm also going to keep posting here.
Got your picture
Glad to see you're still enjoying working with a camera. You don't look like you've changed much -- at least not from the neck up. I'm a bit greyer and heavier than I was when we saw each other last (the beard is to disguise my double chin). But what can I say? It's been almost 30 years!
Re: I was Samech Figtree, anyone remember me, say hello
Hi Samech,
We have recently trying to reconnect with people we knew from the Cog after 25 years of being out of the loop. Seems funny, we know, but after watching a rerun of Law and Order where it clearly depicted Davidito and the killing of his nanny because of abuse, we felt compelled after all of these years to contact others we knew from the past.
We were Joram and Meshelemiah (Meshel) shepherds of the Naples colony, but it was in Greece that we met you and Dulcinea. It was in Greece in'76 that we finally left after months of soulsearching and doubt about the discrepencies we felt confronted us at every turn.
Anyway, we hope you do remember us a little. Joram was regional shepherd there and we had 2 young children at the time. Dulcie worked as a childcare worker at the school and she led our oldest child Angela to the Lord.
Hope you are well, We'd love to hear from you.
Joram and Meshel
I was Samech Figtree, anyone remember me, say hello
Hi Joram,
I have to say that I am having unexpected trouble remebering a lot of people. Certain people and their names really stand out for me, either because I spent alot of time with them, or I really liked them, and knew them well, or I really loathed them and knew them well. I will say that the way my mind works, it kinda starts warming up and one neuron reconnected, leads to another. Plus the problem of bible names, after time and little association to reinforce the connection, all the bible names sound so bizaar. Also, I just had to put out of my mind, thinking about most of it; There was no other way to get on with my life and become a real person. After pondering everything for years, I had to just put it out of my mind and consider that, much of it might have been a mistake, Trying to figure out whether or not it was a mistake, or what was right and what was wrong, kept churning me around in circles, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. I have done much better just letting it go, only re-visiting it, for some reason, like hearing something on the news. Such is the case nowadays, and It seems that the time is ripe for a lot of us to re-connect. Your name does seem familiar, and especially if I say to myself your 2 names, yours and your wife's together. I was really screwed up in Greece, very unhappy. All the crap was stewing and helping to see what was what, and that made me feel very conflicted. You must know. We all must know. I have a few pictures from Greece, not many, mostly Italy, and I have some pics of some kids that I can't I dentify, but I know it was in Greece. I'll write to your email address, and maybe you could send me a pic of you and your wife to help jog my memory. Was it in Athens or Thesolaniki?
Re: I was Samech Figtree, anyone remember me, say hello
Hi Samech,
Thanks for your reply!
I was the AB between Bani and Megiddo and Marah. I was in Athens most of '76 with my wife Meshel and 3 kids, one newborn. You got together with Dulcie and it seems she started the joke of "Same-ich" and "Dull-see-nayah".
Yeah, we can relate to trying to forget the COG. We spent almost 25 years trying to do this, but it never seems to quite go away. Some experiences were good and we remember those and some loving people fondly. Fortunately we got out just as thef FF'ing got underway, but we still had to face the fact that we were emotionally beat up by the rigid, unbending mindset and mental abuse of the cult. The groupthink pattern was taken to the very extreme and that damages people and you wonder where your individuality went to, or your abilities to reason and think things through without the fear of "Big Brother" and the thought police coming after you. It takes time to get freed up from that because everything was about control through fear and manipulation. Some people are really going to have to give an account for their actions!
We hope your are well! We feel the way you do about all of a sudden having a need to reconnect to some of the people we know. There is a commonality to our struggles and experiences that no one else out there will ever understand. We were part of something that marked every one of us for life, some of it good, some absolutely bad, but it has made us who we are, for better or for worse. Someone should organize a excog reunion of sorts! Wouldn't that be something! Of course, this could be bad for some people!
Anyway, please keep in touch. We would like to talk some more! Hey, hope this isn't opening up old wounds, but what ever happened to Dulcie?
Joram and Jclearhead: It does my old heart good to read your postings. I couldn't agree more with your insightful commentaries on life within the CoG and the struggle in it's aftermath.
An ex-CoG reunion could be a wonderful experience, and then again, like you said, it could be bad for some people. This past of ours does evoke some powerful emotions.
Hi Day,
Are you Day of Tychicus? My husband knew Tych in N.Y., Ellenville and t
they went to start a colony in Alabany in the early '70s.
I think you might have been in Paris the same time we were in '74, the possibly in Greece in '76?
Even if you're not that Day, it's nice to reconnect.
God bless and stay well,
Suzanne (Meshelemiah of Joram)[/b]
Hi Meshelemiah
Yes, I'm that Day. I think our paths must have crossed in Paris. Tych and I, along with his eldest, Imri, and a sister Rahab came over from Chicago in Oct. '74. Paris was such a big colony going in so many different directions, it's hard to place some people. The passage of time and our bible names add to the fuzzyness, too.
It is good to reconnect. Over the many years that have passed, since my 2 daughters and I left the CoG in '78, I have wondered about the wonderful people I had the privelege to know, hoping they got away from that insideous sucking cult, hoping their lives would not be too hard or disappointing and somehow wishing we could find each other and help make things better.
When the Rolling Stones article came out this summer, my eldest daughter Heather called me about it. She was quite affected even though we had left when she was a little over 2. I had rarely spoken of the Cog before she called, particularly in depth. What a relief it was to unload that burden, especially to one so kind and accepting.
When I saw the xfamily website listed in the RS article, I was thrilled to know that there was a place where I could go and talk safely to others who knew how it was then and maybe reconnect with those I had come to care for. I have fond memories of kind, thoughtful people who were a part of my life then and I have missed them. Even though you and I may not have known each other except perhaps in passing long ago, I am happy to have this opportunity to know you now.
Best Regards
Rachel (formerly Day)
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