Eyesopen

Eyes would you co-aurthor Lead Christmas 1980?

Now that is an interesting proposition...let me ponder it over night.

I actually would have loved LEAD, or could have loved LEAD. I had been looking forward to it, all except the hitchhiking part because my parents had taught me to never hitchhike because it was just too dangerous. I really wrestled with that. But anyway...I love the snow and have been known to slide head first on my back all the way down the second tallest mountain in Nevada (13065 ft). No it is nowhere near Lake Tahoe, those are the other mountains, we climbed the Snake range and the Rubies on the other side of the state just a little over a year before. Just to see the oldest living trees in the world. Almost lost one of our party when he mistepped in the snow and went through where there was no ground. But we were tied together so we just anchored up and pulled him back. It was kind of scary but once we got back down to the lake we all had a good laugh about it. We teased him that there was certainly some yellow snow on the mountain with his name on it now. It was fun and novel, we signed our names on the ledger in the mailbox at the top, took some really great pictures and had the best slide of my life, on my back, head first, I only bounced off of a couple of rocks all the way down till we ran out of snow. It was awsome!

LEAD could have been like that, but it wasn't.

SOME of us were abused in this manner..... in the 90's it was most of us. THIS is why, like Eyes mentioned in her 1986 Lead thread, we didn't speak up even when we knew deep down we were right. This is why, even now, so many of us struggle with guilt for not being good enough, for being kicked out, for leaving even when we knew it was right. THIS is why, even now, so many people go to great leaps of logic to justify the behavior of TWI leadership.[/color]

And this is why some of us after being kicked out of the Corps or TWI went on to abusive relationships. Because it is where we felt comfortable and where we thought we belonged.

As usual Belle you have provided us with a comprehensive bit of information to chew on, Thank you.

That's great, Eyes, thanks about the cut and paste thing...and......Thanks for "the rest of the story"......finally!

Oh, hey.....that reminds me....I meant to mention this one, little, ity, bity, thing you said.......

Note the highlighted words......YOUR words!! What are you trying to do here!!! It's been TWO SLEEPLESS DAYS now, reading your story....and before you even finish it......

YOU SET US UP FOR ANOTHER ONE??? Well......there go.. ...(snort) :unsure: ...uuhhhh...what?...oh, yeah....there goes more..slee..p...le....ss...nigh... ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Many thanks for an exceptional accounting of those events.

Suspense is wonderful...have to keep my ratings up!

Never fear I will give you a few days or weeks to catch up on your beauty sleep.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I can sleep tonite.

I'm gonna cut and paste this story so I can read it in one sitting...if you don't mind, Eyes. I REALLY enjoyed it...very revealing, indeed.

What a great job of story-telling. And what a great expose' of TWI Brain! I think you handled that meeting on the commons very well...very mature.

I think I would have been much less polite, and might have caused another hospital visit to occur!!

Aarrrggghhhhh!! I thank God, more and more, that I got out whan I did.

Sorry to have kept you awake last night...suspense is wonderful isn't it? It's the time zone thing, ya'll were going to bed when I was coming in...

Just wait for the next story. Writing this one was very helpful to me.

Anyway cut and paste as you like. Like I said it may all end up in a book someday. So you got an advanced screening. :P

Edi darlin, I've not met you yet but I have to tell you, you have one wicked avatar...I shudder to think of looking at that bird sway back and forth...after a pint of drambouie...ooooh dizzy. :wacko:

Anyways, nice to meet you!!

That whole Lead thing and all the Corps program had nothing to do about

teaching people how to believe God.

Going there from the Family Corps we had older women over 60 trying to climb.

We had one single mom in her mid 30s who was a very heavy girl. She was trying to do the

impossible. All it did for her is make her feel bad and made her a failure at one more thing.

We had Several couples and teams get stranded on the road.

One very popular retired couple (many children in the program) get stranded on the road

in the dead of the winter for almost 2 weeks. Was it about believing God?

I guess I'm a jerk because I took plenty of money with me.

We would get to a truck stop i would tell my wife to sit here for a while I would be back.

Go around the corner pull out the money and say look what i found or look that guy just gave us breakfast money.

Unbelievable...or at least it should be...I just don't understand the mentality. I mean this is SUPPOSED to be of God? Hmmmph! Which God?

I do kind of wish ATM's had been invented back then. Ahh it was 1980 something...

Rascal, I'll let you hold her just for the fun of it, and if you want I'll hold her for you. But we must be careful she has claws...

Hmmm...I was NEVER good at a@@ kissing. Although most of the time I just walked away and didn't say anything. But my mouth and my non-conformist type attitude is why I am no longer a Catholic. Should have heard what I said to that poor Deacon. Is it any wonder that my niece (who I now have guardianship of) is just like me.

Get this, She was asked on a quiz in Science, "What is evolution?" Her answer, "A word" The teacher got mad. But then I said did you ask "What is the theory of evolution?" or just "What is evolution?" Hmmm....her answer wasn't wrong...

Once back at the Chalet we found out that all of those that had been injured in some way had been taken to the hospital and then some were being shipped back to Emporia, a few had been sent to hospitals that had more advanced trauma units. Of the few that remained at the Chalet only four would be hitchhiking back to Emporia. The others, two or three (I cant remember) had the flu and would be remaining until they were well enough to be flown back to Emporia.

I endured the sweat lodge because I was so filthy I could bearly stand myself. (I am horribly claustophobic if there is no cold air running across my face. In other words I can be in an open field and if it is too hot I will panic. Left over from a hopitalization when I was four. Spent two weeks in one of those incubator type beds with no physical human contact, I was not allowed to see my parents, it was hot and they kept sticking me with needles. Needles make me puke. Anyway...the sweat lodge...was another challenge of monumental proportion.) But I survived the sweat lodge to emerge mostly clean, then I took the longest shower that they would allow of me. Over dinner we asked questions about our friends but were given no further information. After breakfast the next morning we left for Emporia without another word being spoken about anything.

Michael and I had a rough time getting back to Emporia. At one point we ended up on a deserted highway and had no idea where we were (but that's another story all in itself, and right now I cant for the life of me remember how we got there on that highway in the middle of no where.) We spent our $10 on what I don't remember but on the last leg of the trip home, and we were cutting it way too close, we got picked up by a local Emporian. He asked us how much time we had and we told him, so he sped up. He asked if we still had our money, we had to tell him that we did not, he gave us $10 and dropped us off at the gate with about 25 minutes to spare. He wished us Gods speed and drove away. (You think that was cool, just wait for the deserted highway adventure...that was really cool!)

It was well after dark when we arrived, we were informed that we had missed dinner. They told us that if we wanted a sandwich we could go make one in the kitchen. Neither of us having ever stepped into the kitchen before and not in the highest of spirits thanks to our welcoming committee, declined the offer. Then we were told that we had a meeting in a half an hour with the great and wonderful Farts. Michael said something under his breath about barely having time to shower and one of our welcoming commitee said "Well, if you had been earlier you would have more time." Said of course in the snottiest of tones. We just walked away.

We made it to the meeting with a few minutes to spare. The happy cheery group that had a performed Tinnie Tinnie just a short week previous did not attend that meeting. A group of half starved, angry and bedraggled warriors straight from active combat attended that meeting. With the noteable exception of Miss Carrie and her butt buddies who were acting like they had just won the lotto. The Farts entered the room with the same pseudo smile that anyone wears when they are doing something that they do not want to do but are trying not to show it. Cindy, well trained by her father, noted the atmosphere of the room and immediately took the lead away from Michael. (Anytime things got a little bumpy, Cindy was in charge and Michael was just support. She wore the pants and everyone knew it.) Cindy sent someone out to russle up some food. Apparently we were the last ones in, but only by a few minutes.

Cindy tried to relax everyone by trying to make the room appear more casual. It had been set up like a small teaching room, strung chairs and all. She pulled two chairs out and put them in front of the other chairs, she didn't use the cushy ones from the stage. Then she said "Gather around, lets make a circle." Once everyone was seated she said something to the effect of "I know you all had a rough time out there, but it's all over now. You're home." No-one spoke, it became uncomfortable...then out of nowhere Carrie in her annoying sing song manner started talking about how much fun she had....I tuned her out because the second she opened her mouth, I wanted to kill her. I got a wonderfully clear mental image of that last rock that "I didn't finish" and Carrie falling off of it...horribly unrenewed of me I know. ..I asked God to forgive me for that one and I could have swore I heard him chuckle...just my imagination to be sure. :unsure:

The meeting went by with a blur, I remember eating a lot of sandwiches and drinking a gallon of koolaid. Oh yeah and thinking of several other inventive ways to silence the cheap Farrah F@wcett knock off. Her blathering made it impossible for anyone to get any real information from the Farts about those that were in the hospital. It struck me later, I am embarrassed to say that we didn't even have a group prayer for them. (We did in twig the next day, I think it was the next day, but never as a school, or a house hold.)

The next week or so we were all kept extremely busy. I'm not talking normal busy, I'm talking can't stop to breath busy. I was transfered out of Housekeeping into the kitchen, morning duty. You know get up at 3am, never see anyone, sleep 3-5 hours every night if your lucky...yeah that job. Looking back I can see that all of us that were on that LEAD trip were separated from each other. If we saw each other at all it was at a SNS or Corps night. We all were given jobs that would interfere with eating at the designated meal times. Then about half way through that first week I got the call to go to the emerald city to see the great and powerful Id, time to debrief.

So I step into his office and the first thing that I notice is that his desk is much to short for a scarecrow. He looked up at me with that Vice-Principal look that he stole from grade school. And told me, yes told me to sit down. I was too tired to care. I had had very little sleep the night before and frankly was happy that he had called me in so that I could sit down. Then he began to tell me all about how much I had screwed up on my LEAD experience. I am certain that I did not respond to him at all unless you can count the obvious look of disbelief that certainly covered my face. I don't really remember any of the "points" that he most probably gave me that I needed to work on, except the one "You need to adjust your attitude" Then he insinuated that if I did not "adjust" it to meet his standard that he would have to send me home. Now that got my attention, after all of that BS there was no way in He!! that I was going to let this pathetic excuse for a man send me home. No F-ing way!

I went to my TC Joanie. What does he want I asked her. It was obvious she did not want to answer. So she asked me "Do you want to stay in?" I told her that I did and why. So this was her advice, "Do as you are told, make no waves, do extra if you can, at least appear to be studying and changing, stay out of leaderships sight and above all shut your mouth." I got the impression that she had hoped that I did not want to stay. I am certain that Joanie knew that I was marked at that point but she was afraid to tell me. She protected me for the next few weeks so I could readjust and "comply". I never spoke one on one with Rev Fart again. She told me that she had handled it, but the rest was up to me and I would be on my own soon. I assumed that she was talking about my impending interum year, as it turned out she wasn't.

We relocated campuses early, we were told that Rev Lardbutt needed his workers back to finish the next stage of his building. A few others and I were thrown into the mix to be sent to Gunnison. Right after the announcement was made one of my fellow LEAD soldiers stopped me on the lawn by my dorm and quickly told me that the ones in the hospital were suing, one girl had lost the better part of one foot and a few toes off of the other, another girl had lost nearly all of her toes and was having trouble with her fingers, all in all there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-10 people that had had to have amputations and a dozen more that had severe frostbite that they would have to deal with the rest of their lives. The parents of one girl, an amputee was contacting the other parents and a class action suit was in the works. That's why they are splitting us up even more, we were potential witnesses against them.

About a month later at Gunnison, we hear that the LEAD staff is relocating. They are being sent back to HQ and then reassigned from there. But they will pass through Gunnison first. The story told to the Corps was that the LEAD staff had been on their mountain too long and had lost the ability to be civilized. That's is what they said, really. (So that answered the question on who got blamed for missing the rev)

They arrived in the evening and were taken into a meeting with the ever so arrogant Rev. Lardbutt (he really did have a big rear). After their meeting (this I remember clearly) I was in a group of Corps, there were no family camps going on, so it was just us, anyway I was in a group of my piers when the "leaders" walked out onto the commons. I headed straight for them, like an arrow. I didn't say a word to anyone before I did. I walked straight up to that woman...I looked into her eyes and held them as I approached her. Almost every eye in the area was on us now. At first I had no idea what I was going to say to this woman. But the nearer that I came the more I could read in her eyes, she was afraid, afraid of me, of what I would or could say, and she was sorry...When I saw that...well, what would you do? I smiled, held out my hand and said "Welcome to Gunnison, it is a pleasure to have you all here." And I meant it. In that short walk, and that one look from her eyes I realized that it wasn't her fault, she was as conditioned as I, as we all were. It was her knowledge of the wilderness that ensured that our tents didn't collapse and that we had dry firewood. I wasn't happy about her betrayal when it came to Carrie, but I didn't blame her either. So without asking my TC I invited the entire crew to eat breakfast with us the next morning. The entire time I did not look away from her eyes, when I invited her to breakfast first I saw surprise and then joy accompanied by a tiny tear that she did not let fall.

As far as I know TWI settled out of court. K did not participate in the lawsuit, (as far as I know). Once I moved to Gunnison I never saw nor heard from K again. In fact no-one that I saw that was a part of that LEAD group ever spoke of it again to me, including the leaders at breakfast. TWI never announced the incident, except to say at one SNS that there had been some problems on a LEAD trip and the ministry was dealing with it, that LCM was dealing with it directly so peoples hearts wouldn't get hurt or some such nonsense. None of us, except Carrie heard one word from him.

Thus ends another Eyes adventure, the adventure of LEAD 1986.

Can this account be pasted into the *my story section*?

Eyes, YOU stood up to them!! YOU didn`t smooche miss poo poos posterior...YOU are a hero to all of us who humbly sudmitted and ate our sh!t sandwitches.

Thank you for sharing this story. Thank you for taking the time to show just how little twi regarded the lives of it`s people....how we were expected to do the insane...even though every fiber of our being screamed out against it.....how we did it any way because to do any less was to let God down....

That woman came on the forums (I think in way dale) and stayed for a few days trying to talk about what a swell guy her brother had been when they were kids.....I don`t think she was treated like royalty then. I wonder what life is like now that her status is in the toilet.

Thanks Rascal, I didn't feel like a hero, I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It took 'em till July '87 to drop it. I have dreamt for years of just punching her right in the nose! Maybe God will reward me in heaven....that wasn't very renewed was it? Oh well.

You can paste this thing anywhere you like...I've already begun to save all of my little stories on my puter under "Way Stories" Original doncha think? Maybe I will compile them and make a book. First I got to remember them...hmmm...small obstical.

Anyway....the rest of the story...

I'm not quite certain what to say, except "Thank you". Until I started to write it down, I didn't really realize just how traumatic it was, my mind has blocked out so much of my Corps experiences. I simply didn't remember much of this account until I started writing it down day by day. Except the firepit incident with Carrie and of course K and her toe.

Regarding K, on that part I left out something, just before she started cutting she turned her head to look at me. Her eyes, the mirror of your soul...her soul was tortured right then...pain and determination, fear and resolve, anger and resignation...all reflecting in her eyes. I knew it was gangrene, my mother had been a nurse as well. I could see it and what's worse I could smell it, that sweet sickly odor that both entices you and repulses you. An odor that brings an involuntary gag reflex and a knot in the stomach. In my job I have had the "opportunity" to smell it several times through the years and each time that I do, I gag and my mind returns to Mt. Capitan...and her eyes.

I didn't put that in before because it hurts to remember it. A knot starts in my chest moves up my throat and threatens to consume me. For so many years my mind has carefully locked up almost everything to the point that I can barely remember peoples names, I couldn't remember how long they gave us to get to Tinnie, I had to go look at the other thread to remind me, I don't remember any teaching except POP and Dale C@rnegie. So often you my wonderful Corps brothers and sisters will be telling stories about your time in res and I will read them trying to remember if I ever did that. If I find a little tail of a memory I will start to tell it (much like this one started) and the more I tug at that little tail the more comes out. Finally its almost like the door opens and this memory comes flooding out, and I feel like I'm watching a movie of someone elses life. Did I really do that? But I look at the evidence that I have kept through the years, like my little carving and I know I must have done it. It truly is a lifetime ago for me. What an incredibly effective defense mechanism. Perhaps this is why I can switch gears so quickly and seem so impersonal at times. Hmmm.....

So one question before I switch posts and finish this story off....

Listener-Where does your mind go when you think up this stuff? I was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face!

I didn't really switch gears here...it took me nearly an hour to write this post.

Wow I didn't think that we would ever get done! How can someone so young have so much junk? Then I got into a verbal confrontation with some A hole that wanted to box...another strory.

First to answer a couple of questions.

Carrie was/is Craigs little sis.

K was/is a nurse. She worked the emergency room and trauma. She was very good at what she did. She had some plastic surgery after she got back. I think she left before the year was over. She had to put weights in the end of her shoe so she could walk without a limp and also so she wouldn't fall over.

Finally the last segement is NOT on pay per view. But I wouldn't mind it if someone wanted to bribe me with Pizza and beer.

Allrighty then...

Once the injured had left we began to clean up camp two and three. There were so few left that we only needed the one camp anyway. Besides barring any more "mishaps" the remaining diehards were bound for solo/duo next. Time ticked by at an annoyingly slow rate (kind of like the time between this post and the last). Finally we packed our rucks and got into line to follow our little leader further into the woods. After giving us a quick lesson in shelter building 101 they sent us off one by one to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening alone with God in the woods.

My little piece of the mountain had a natural little home already built and nicely insulated for me. I just spent a few minutes digging out the end so I could access it and whala, instant home for the night! I found some firewood but didn't light one. I wasn't cold, I wasn't hungry, I was angry. I had just witnessed a friend cut off part of her toe! And not a word came from the "leaders". She wasn't rushed down the mountain, she had to tend her own wound without so much as an apology or a F-you.

That would be enough to anger anyone in their right mind. But it was worse than that, because K wasn't the worst case. She had what she called a mild case compared to the others that she had seen. She had been treating the other victims since the first night. But other than bandages she had no help from the leaders. She warned them of the danger and they dismissed her.

I was FURIOUS! I think that I experienced genuine spiritual anger! (So put that in your pipe and smoke it LCM) But I was not blameless. I had seen the clouds, I had seen what was happening, but I had done nothing to stop it. I could have said "Take me down the mountain" and been the scape goat for all. But I was stubborn, and I really thought that the leaders would come to their senses and take us down or at least take them down. So there I sat sometimes crying, sometimes yelling at God, sometimes yelling at myself. When I got tired of sitting, I paced and kicked the snow, and threw things. Basically I threw a fit, all alone up on Mt. Capitan in my little acre of woods I became a four year old and God really did become my Father. When I had exhausted myself and my legs had collapsed I finally asked Him what I should do. As clear as day the thought, Be still and know that I am God. To this day when I become angry this verse still comes to mind...and I calm down. I carved a little mountain out of a stick and on the mountain I carved two words, "Be Still". It sits on my desk. To remind me...of everything.

The next day my leader came to see me. I had already packed and was once again sitting on my rock. I was calm but I was still stewing inside. Opening my mouth right now would be a bad thing. She asked if I had lost anything, I said 'no'. She asked if I had learned anything, I said 'yes'. She asked several other questions that requied a 'yes' or 'no' I answered them with as little emotion as I could muster.

Then she said "You know you screwed up right?"

I said, "What? I screwed up?"

"Yes" she said

"And how did I screw up?"

"Well you didn't finish that climb the last day, you quit on it."

I just shook my head in disbelief

"You also embarrassed Ms. Muttendale in public."

(With all that has gone on you have the balls to bring up that incident?) Be still...Be still...be still...strangle her...no,...be still and then strangle her....no, no, no, BE STILL for crying out loud! Hold your tongue Teresa or will certainly end up strangling this woman! So all I said was, "She lied, I corrected her"

"You should have apologized."

"She needs to apologize, not me."

"I will have to report this"

"Fine" (As if I didn't already know that her royal pain in the butt wasn't already on the phone!)

"Well you did alright, you didn't lose anything."

"Like my toes?" Of course I didn't say that with any amount of sarcasm.

"Your feet didn't get wet?"

"No, I didn't use that wax crap that you recommended. I used goose grease and I wore a cotton T-shirt."

She looked at me with a very strange expression, almost apologetic.

"We need to go. I have others that I need to evaluate."

So we went back down the mountain without further incident or conversation.

Stay tuned....I promise to finish this tomorrow.

Allright sorry about leaving a cliff hanger back there but I lost track of time and really had to do my job so I could go home. This is going to be short cause I have to move my niece.

So time was ticking for our little stalwart group of Corps. The sun came out for more than just a teasing visit by the afternoon of the third day and although the warmth was welcome it meant that the snow was became even more wet as it melted. The third camp site had more problems, they had camped on unstable ground and it was shifting. The tents were flooding and their equipment was getting soaked as well. People trudged along, clothes and sleeping bags were strung up between the trees to drip dry, but the snow from the tops of the trees made the task daunting.

While nearly everyone spent any extra time trying to help those that were injured or soaked. Little Miss Carrie and her cadre were concerned about how they were supposed to take a shower. So several people had to stop what they were doing to collect enough snow to make enough warm water for the three of them to shower. <_< By this time I didn't even try to disguise my disdain.

On day five a friend of mine, I'll just call her "K", started asking people for a sharp knife. Finally she settled on her own and after a short stint of honing it on a wet stone that someone had brought, she sat down on a rock and removed her boot, then her sock. Her big toe was black at the end and it looked "sick". She looked at it for a moment and sighed, resigning herself. No-one spoke to her, she was given a wide birth. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she took the knife and started cutting. She removed a good portion of her big toe while sitting on that rock. Then she bound it with clean bandages, put a clean sock on and put her boot back on, she didn't lace it. Now it was my turn to give wilting looks, me and half a dozen others that just couldn't stand it any more. (You ask me why didn't we just rebel? No-one wanted to be the reason for the failure of all. Remember they said "If one goes we all go")

It was finally determined that after the last rock climb that most did not participate in, they could hardly walk, how could they climb? Anyway it was determined that those that no longer had any dry clothing or sleeping bags and those that had frostbite or were otherwise injured did not have to participate in the solo/duo. They went back down the mountain after breakfast on the sixth day. Some had to be carried, some made makeshift crutches or canes. Over half went down the mountain on that sixth day, including the princess I think she broke a finger nail. (Just kidding, I'm pretty certain that she did as I did not see her again until we reached Emporia.)

Tune in next time for the rest of the story...

I bet Eyes is typing furiously to continue the story and give us our "fix".

Dang, this is addicting!!

I had to stop laughing first. You're killing me!

I got this horrible mind numbing picture of the lot of us "performing" Tinnie Tinnie on a continuous reel behind the announcer, with the closing line of Same Bat time ...Same Bat channel...Oooops am I dating myself.

Full Circle- You aint a kidding honey, what a Beeotch she was...she just thought that she was all that and a bag of chips too. But I won't get started on her....oooh she just made my blood boil!

I did hug my dad and tell him how much his "old fashioned" ways had saved my little toes.

Ok more story then I got to help my niece move.

Sorry to interrupt a great story, but could someone give me clue as to who Rev. Fart really was?

No-one special believe me, substitute the "A" for an "O". I always have called him that. Not because of flaggulance (sp), but because he never said anything worth listening to because of most of what he said just stunk. Told you nothing special.

Coffee? You guys were betrayed. The way I heard it, that wasn't coffee, it was decaf..

There was coffee? Where was I? Maybe it was supposed to come out of the walls after the voice stopped droning on, and on, and on....

Now where's that little squirrel at, I want to give him a big fat smooch!! Pucker up fur face!

"Spell" check? ^_^ Sounds Wiccan!

Hmmmm...well if it is its not working, someone withhold the paycheck!

Where's the rest, where's the rest?

Patience...hehehe

So this first night we started a fire at our camp, in a proper pit of course and we sat down to warm ourselves as once the sun had gone down the temperature dropped. It was after all a mountain and February, it should be cold but to me it just wasn't cold enough, it was just that nagging little wind, which by the way had picked up speed. At the fire, we cooked and ate, we talked and laughed, but then Carrie just had to say some stupid remark about the "Hick limb of Arkansas" (That was the nice part) and I just couldn't hold my tongue. (We both had spiritual partners in Arkansas, I mean where does she get off?) Well I told her where to get off. And then pointed out some of her less "refined" actions at the last limb meeting before the Rock. She was none too pleased. If looks could kill I would have been toast right then and there, and not just her but the majority of the group had that look. There were a few that had that "Now you've done it look." But they were by and large the minority. I was told to go and sit somewhere in the cold and think about what I did, and decide to appologize. As if I were a two year old that had just told her brother that he was ugly. It's not like I lied or anything. Hmmmgh...anyway <_<

I was kind of glad to be away from those hypocrites anyway, and I didn't really care that they were all talking about me behind my back. I took the time to scan the skys. There was a large cloud coming in. Most of the stars had already been blotted out. Let me tell you if you have never seen the sky without the city lights...man what an experience...you can REALLY see the stars, and most of ours that night in Tinnie were gone. It did not look good. So I called it a night. Why bother talking to the leader now? She never listened anyway.

I was awakened at about 1am by the sound of a woman screaming, not your ordinary "oooh that was scary" kind of scream. Oh no this was an "I'm being mutilated in my jammies" kind of scream. It cut through the night like a well honed machete and brought us all up and out of our tents. It was comming from the group just below us. It seemed to go on for a long long while. I could hear her say "Get it off me!" Minutes later we got a report that someone (cant remember who) thought that a bear was sitting on her chest, but it was just the snow had caved in her tent. (Hmmm...ok, did any of us actually notice anything when we piled out of our tents?) The snow was falling in thick blankets, our tents were all evenly caked in the heavy wet stuff. The accumulation was near up to our ankles and as we had stood there waiting to hear what had happened a good half an inch had fallen onto our heads and shoulders. It was really coming down. There was a slight breeze that was blowing the snow at an angle, not a steep one mind you but the firewood was on the other side of that wind with the tent in between, so it stayed nice and dry. (Hmmm...I guess she knew her stuff)

The next morning came cloudy and cold with two feet of snow piled into our little clearing and not much less between the camps the wind had done a fine job of getting under the trees. The snow still fell although lightly and the breeze picked up the loose stuff and flung it in your face. Two other tents had collapsed in the night, one was a complete wreck and unfixable. The others were shored up with long tree limbs. (What did you think that we were going back down the mountain? Oh heck no not us we were Corps, furthermore we were 16th Corps we had something to prove, how could we quite? Really...did we really have a choice? Not if we wanted to be Corps, we didn't. For clarification on my cynicism read the thread "I really hated Corps night") Besides the leaders weren't all too keen on going back down either. They told us "If one goes, we all go". No pressure! It really did not help us to have Carrie along on this trip, I really think that some of this was posturing.

So that first day we repaired tents, collected firewood for the other camps and cleared a lot of snow. The woman that had initially gotten dumped on was developing chest pains. She really had a lot of snow no her. I am thinking that her tent was right under a large set of branches so when it toppled all of that wet snow hit her tent. It took them the better part of an hour to get her out of the thing. The second day they took her back down the mountain, on a makeshift stretcher I think, I never heard about her again, except that she had gone home.

But our fun was just beginning! The second day we all collected our packs and ventured off to climb a mountain. Initially there were several complaints about cold boots and cold toes. We were told to place feet by the fires when we took breaks to warm ouselves and our boots. Also to keep our boots in our tents at night so the body heat could keep them warmer.

That second night after a very nice day of climbing as the weather had cleared and the sun had come out for a few minutes to tease us all. We fixed our dinners and most folks stuck their feet next to the fire because they were cold, myself included. Then off to bed we went. Totally exhaused and quite cold, but for once we were full. (Needless to say I ate quickly and left as soon as I was allowed, the less of Carries snickering and pointing the better. I was considering tossing her off of a rock, not a big one just one that would break her little smirking face. Is that bad....? :P )

The next morning is when things really started to go south. Some peoples boots had warmed up enough to show that they had either leaked or the snow seal had not worked because they were now wet on the inside. I had not applied the snow seal that was recommended by the LEAD list. My father and I had gone to purchase the stuff on the LEAD list. When we got to this item we noticed that it was wax, like the kind you use to polish your boots. Except this stuff was to be applied with a blow dryer (which kind of tree do you plug that into?) and it claimed to do the job with only one application. Well we didn't think too highly of that recommendation so my dad and I slathered my boots with some Goose fat that he had rendered the previous hunting season. And we applied it several times and then tested it under a water faucet until we were certain. My boots weren't pretty and they weren't new, but they saved my feet that winter. My feet stayed dry no matter how much snow or water that I wandered through or how many times I put my boots in front of the fire. I wish that I could say that for many others.

The leaders acted unconcerned about the wet boot problem. This was very disconcerting to me, I knew it was a big problem, but you know what happened the previous times that I had opened my mouth. Isn't it strange that they made such a fuss about the cotton shirts and nothing was done about the wet boots.

The days wore on, each day progressively worse. Each day more and more people limping. The soggy boots, the wet socks, the red feet with white edges and toes, the tears of pain and frustration. And still we wouldn't quit.

Have to do my job again, I'll be back later.

Can't wait for the "rest of the story". Nice writing!

Thanks!

Where was I...Oh yes, so as we continued to hike up the mountain I did advise some folks that once we reached the tree line they would want to redon their shirts and possibly coats as without the sun it would get chilly. A small breeze had come up and it was COLD. This got me to scanning the sky. I saw a whisper of clouds but nothing of any great note, so I dismissed the idea. (Hmmm...not one of my shining moments.)

We continued on and as I predicted upon entering the tree line again people began to scramble for the sweaters and coats that they had packed. Here in the shade of the trees we encountered snow. It was about 6 inches worth and had been there for some time. It was all but melted away where the sun had hit it as it was filtered through the trees. The air was crisp and clean, the birds were singing, the woodland animals were playing and the city folks were jumping at every little noise. It was wonderful!

Soon we came upon the designated camping spot. The group was split into three (I think, I'm pretty sure, anyway). Our group traveled another 100 or so yards further up the mountain. The snow was nearly unbroken between the sites as the tree coverage was very dense. The sites themselves were little more that small clearings (emphasis on "small"). Some of the folks started pitching tents and the rest gathered firewood. The afternoon was on the down side of noon and there was an urgancy in the tone of the Leaders. No-one was allowed to rest for more than a few minutes before they were chided for not working hard enough. She had us gather much more firewood than our little camp would need for a week, at least that is what I was thinking but I was basing my estimations on the weather holding. I mentioned this to our leader (stupidly once again) and her response was to tell me that the firewood needed to be stacked as tall as the main tent and it had to be stacked on a specific side of the tent and under the overhang "so it won't get wet". (Hmmmm...can a clue hit you over the head?)

When darkness finally fell we had collected all of the firewood that she had required of us and presumably the tent setters had done their job just as efficiently. I must stop here and give kudos to our leader. She was a real Beeotch and she wouldn't tell us what she most certainly knew but she made sure that at least in that first night we would be as safe and secure as humanly possible, except for the not knowing part. Oh and the part that maybe we should have waited a day before starting up the mountain to begin with.

Ooops got to go to work for a few minutes. I'll be back.

And all that time, I thought you guys were having some kinda big old party..

And this coming from someone who packs nuts in his cheeks Cute, furry little cheeks...I just want to pinch them!

Just a note: a person is a Wiccan, the religion is called Wicca.

Not to be pedantic (okay, I am being pedantic ) the Wiccan Rede is generally stated as "An it harm none, do as you will" - but that simple statement is interpreted in many, many, different ways, but generally is understood to mean "no spells to hurt people" ...generally

It is not the opinion of all Wiccans, but it is the opinion of some, I have no idea what percentage. I have heard it out of the mouths of most of the Wiccans that I know, and seen it on several websites. For all I know there may be no otehr Wiccans in the world that believe this though.

One thing that you can be sure of with Wiccans is that they don't all agree on everything.

Wicca/ Wiccan sorry just going with spell check on that one. It says there is no such word as "Wiccan". So no insult intended.

I have the Wicca Rede (Sorry bout the "C" it was a fat finger thing) in front of me. I know what is says. But as I said my friend the Wicca(n) said that not all follow everything on it.

As far as the statement concerning Christian prayer, I was actually answering someone else and I believe what I said basically is that since not all practice or adhere to the same set of beliefs a blanket statement like that is not accurate. (Just what you just said).

I kind of feel like Bilboa Baggins, writing about the many adventures of my time in TWI. I have been asked to tell the entire story about my LEAD adventure. But I was asked to start my own thread so I could stop derailing everyone elses. ^_^ ..Hmmmph...so here's my own little thread. Bear with me as I try to remember the details.

So there I was eating my lunch and minding my own business. (Which if you read some of my other posts you know was self preservation.) Anyway Rev. Fart stands up and in his usual gawky scarecrow fashion begins to flap his gums. What is the big announcement of the day? Who's going LEAD of course. He reads the list amongst cheers and clapping. Two names stick out in my mind, mine of course and Carrie Muttendale's. She gives me a smug look from across the room and I glare back. Then I get that reproving "Mind your thoughts" look from the person at the head of my table. All I could think of was "Oh boy here we go another exercise in tolerance. God give me strength." And I really meant it. Carrie and I had known each other since '82. She didn't like me, I'm still not certain why but she always tried to make my life a living hell, especially in the Corps. I just tried to avoid her. Had the little feud between Carrie and I been the only problem on LEAD I would have been much happier. But such was not the case.

Like all of the LEAD groups that had left Emporia that year we came up with a theme song, which still rings in my head today as I write this, thanks to Renee (loved that woman) we used New York, New York and rewrote the words to Tinnie, Tinnie. We got our traveling partners and tried to make a plan of action. My partner was one of the most level headed wonderful men I had ever met, Mich@el Br@nch. He and I didn't have much in common so we didn't even know each other before this and we didn't talk after it was done except for a casual hello now and again. So we... the group leaving...met several times before we departed so that we could check each other to make certain everyone had everything on the list and to learn our song of course. Carrie and her little gaggle of friends liked to make fun of those in the group that didn't have all of the newest, latest and prettiest gear, I was among them. But that didn't bug me much, as I had been out rock climbing and camping before, so I had confidence in my tried and true equipment.

So the day came, we got up early to a crisp, cold, windy, rainy late February morning in Emporia, Kansas. We had enjoyed a hamburger with Rev. Fart the "vegetarian" the night before and having now been fed our breakfast, and with our $10 and dove sticker stuffed securely in our pockets we were taken to the front gate and sent on our way. It didn't take long for the crowd to thin out and disappear. Folks in Emporia were kind of used to this phenomena. They didn't care much for TWI but they found that most of the kids they picked up were pleasant and honest; after all those that didn't mind their "p's and q's" got to walk to Tinne. :P

The trip to Tinnie is kind of a blur, we didn't run into any other pairs but we saw one pair driving by in a Semi truck. We were adamant not to spend the lousy $10 so we were hungry most of the time. We had packed a few snacks but they can't take the place of a real meal, and we were traveling for what seemed like a week. But we managed to make it with a few hours to spare and the $10 bucks in tact. We hadn't eaten a meal since we left Emporia. (I couldn't have been more stupid if I had been on crack! ) It really wasn't that long of a time but with all the walking and the packs we had to carry we were expending a lot of calories. (Ok, I'm done whining, so please do not break out the cheese!)

Anyway we all got there on time. It was a little dicey there for a bit but the last group pulled in just shy of the top of the hour. It always amazed me at how anal they could be about the time factor for arriving too and from LEAD, when so much did not depend on the participant. Believe God my white arse! God had to do back flips to help some of us out! But that comes at the end of the story.

We were all there, so they transported us in two groups up to the Chalet. It was dark out so we didn't really get a good look at it but they took us on a short tour around the inside and told us all about solar power and battery storage, most of the monolog was drown out by the grumbling stomachs. (Apparently we weren't the only ones with $10 left in their pockets). When they were done they took us downstairs and let us eat something, they did not join us as they had eaten already, go figure. We were then shuffled off to bed as we would be going up the mountain right after breakfast. I think that I was asleep before I hit the pillow.

The morning broke clear and warm, this should have clued me right away. It is not customary for it to be so warm in February in the mountains. But I put my trust in the LEAD coordinators and just didn't pay close enough attention. We were told to make certain that we had lots of layers on. (Another clue, and one that tells me that THEY knew) We packed our food and gear and started up the mountain. About halfway up many people were shedding their outer layers as it was getting very warm with the sun beating on us. On one of our many breaks, lots of city folks in my group, the leader at the front started yelling at one of the guys. I couldn't hear what he was saying but it didn't sound good. It got filtered down that everyone needed to shed all of their upper body clothing and show the leaders what kind of T-shirt you had on. I guess the guy that got into trouble was wearing cotton. The rule was you had to have silk t-shirts, because when you sweat in cotton your sweat can freeze against your body hence increasing your chances of getting hypothermia. This is assuming of course that the air temperature is below freezing, which at the time it was not as I said it was very warm. I (stupidly) pointed that out to my "pack" leader, and I refused to remove my clothing on the side of a mountain. Fortunately for me I wasn't the only one that was of this opinion. So they just let it slide with the comment "Well the temperature can drop quickly on the mountain." (Hmmm...another clue?)

I'm gonna stop here and start another post so this one doesn't get too long.

Because it was yet one more insane unpleasantry that people not only endured, but PAID for the privilege of sitting through

Folks did it because they were told this is what would make them spiritually sharp...my guess is from all of the replies so far...it was a failure.

Oh I don't know about that failure thing Rascal, I got a sharp pain in my Arse, and most people tell me that I'm a smart Arse so doesn't that count?

So let me ask, if anyone, regardless of their religious brand prays for something bad or asks their God for something bad to happen to someone, is that considered black magic? Would that be the manipulative part you are talking about? What about if someone like LCM uses God to curse and condemn people because he doesn't agree with them. Besides bad Christianity, how does that rate on the scale of being manipulative and black (bad) spell work? Or maybe it doesn't relate?

I am not a Wicca but a very good friend of mine is...so I will try to clear up this misconception. First off the Wicca religion as previously noted does not have a "Head guru" like most organized religions. There are local priests and priestesses but they only represent the particular coven that they are associated with. Hence there is no single belief system persay. They all have a single Wicca Crede, which for the most part is adhered to but nowhere in the crede does it dictate who or when magic or spells are to be employed.

So to make the statement that Wicca's believe that Christian prayer is a form of spell casting is not an accurate statement. In general Wicca's believe that most honest prayer, Christain or otherwise, is a supplication to a person's god or gods. A request if you will for intercession from a higher plain of existance as such that would be considered a type of spell. But as we all know not everyone prays like this, many just mouth the words. In addition to this if the prayer is accompanied with candle lighting then candle magic is involked to enhance the prayer, or if it is said in a specific building or special place that has a "place of power" then it is again enhanced. As I said a blanket statement just serves to confuse those that don't know.

Of course if a request for intercession is in the negetive sense, i.e. to hurt someone it of course would fall under the same guildlines. Does this make the Wicca belief wrong, or evil? I don't think so. I actually respect their desire to return to the old religions of respect for the earth and worship of a duel god. Their beliefs dont hurt anyone. Now I of course cannot speak for the individual. There are bad apples in every religion. (TWI just put them all into leadership).

Bramble adds some very good information as well.

As I understand it, Covens only open up membership to those that are invited to become a member. This weeds out the curious that have seen too many movies and the potential bad seed that only wants to stir trouble. And Bramble is correct in that the Priestess or Priest is more concerned with the overall Coven not in getting into everyones business.

you ARE the most loveable little cus

OMG Rhino you are killing me

Everybody I got to say that I have stressed about that post since I wrote it last night. I REALLY tired not to...but old ingraned habits die really hard. So to everyone, thank you from the very bottom of my heart, you have no idea how much weight lifted from my heart when I read all your words. Well you probably do have an idea...anyway enough mushy stuff.

Sunesis you are very right they would always set us up to fail. Hence my adventure out LEAD. I will collect my thoughts and start another thread. I don't think that it should be as "exciting" as the other incident. As I have no idea of what happened to those that were injured after they left the hospitals. But you never know as I have realized lately when I start to tell a story all sorts of memories pop up.

As for Carrie Muttindale, she lived in Arkansas, Hot Springs I think. I was WOW in Jonesboro then moved to LR for two years before joining the Corps. I would see her during limb meetings. I have a pic of her, but no scanner. She did look a lot like LCM but her nose was bigger and her chin a bit longer. In her old age, without plastic surgery she would look like the classic witch without the wart. No Kidding! She poofed her hair A LOT. It was the '80's. You may remember her she did a short stint with Way productions until someone finally convinced LCM that she didn't really have any talent. She always sang the same two or three songs at meetings, 3 years of the same songs... <_< She was a vindictive hateful woman, and I have no idea why she never liked me. I mean after all I'm such a loveable little cus. :P

Oh and here is one member of the 16th that survived the corps.

Rev. Rosalie F. Rivenbark, President

Rev. Vince McFadden, Vice President

Rev. Roger Mittler, Vice President

Rev. John Rupp, Vice President

Rev. Jean-Yves De Lisle, Secretary-Treasurer

I was out lightbearer with him. He wasn't my partner but we (the 4 of us) stayed in the same house. Not so sure I am proud of him.

Thanks again! :D

Man, if Eve was alive she could sue for slander...

That would be after she puked! Eeeeeuuuu!!!