Hi - This is mostly to Tree...
I have been reading these posts for awhile but rarely write mostly because I don't have the time! However if I think it might help someone I have been compeled to reach out and make a difference -
Your experience sounds so sad mostly for the ongoing aspect of it!
Briefly - I was in the school for about 20 years...never a staff member (other than cleaning toilets) however I was involved in 2 relationships with very high profile guys from the inner circle, had many personal experiences with JZ, witnessed too many controversial/hypocritical instances/teachings to count...
Now after almost 6 years away I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel leading to a life free of the effects of RSE. Also with something quite valuble called "hindsight'. Thank ME that I made it out while my son was a toddler and he is growing up free of that and is becoming such a brilliant and amazing person...blessed with a Mom who truly wants a "remarkable" life for him above all...I would rather take what was of value from my experience with RSE ( there was a little of that ) than to dwell in the negative...As I truly believe that JZ is a fraud at best and a spiritual predator at worst...I have to refuse to continue to be a victim of her!
There is such a great big beautiful awe inspiring World out here to live in!
My thought to you Tree is if you could make a break from there (yelm, and this site even!) I think it would be so worth it! I would gladly talk to you personally as you might say easy for you to say but if you know who I am you might see. I tried to stay in that town because my son's Dad was there but I know I had a better chance free of the stigma and yours sounds worse...
Do it for your sons benefit! Maybe he wants to stay there cause he has friends there but he is young and there is a whole world of adventure waiting...for both of you...anyhow contact me and we will talk and anyone else that this reaches out to...and I don't mean to be secret and covert I just do not have the energy on this to be so public nor do I have any desire to fuel emotions of regret, resentment, blame, etc...mine or others. That wouldn't serve any purpose in my "free" life out here...

After participating in an event like LARSE 2 it stirs up emotions on every side of this issue. Journalists need to be careful -- at least their editors are a "stop and think" mechanism that helps bring more sobriety and accuracy to a story. Before anyone posts here re the LARSE 2, I suggest being your own editor--let a response sit a while and try not to merely react to RSE "slings and arrows". No one has to defend themselves immediately.

A Santa Clara Pueblo Indian 'medicine man'/shaman once told me he usually waited three days to give advice or to answer a difficult or "urgent" question. Often he found that the answer came to the client anyway by that time, or the client no longer had to speak about it, or the person had new information that gave the shaman an opportunity to give better advice.

In one movie, W C Fields stopped a boy from throwing rocks at the other kids. Fields told him to count to ten first, then throw. "Your aim will be better."

Joe

Huge thanks for LARSE 2 and everyone's blood, sweat and tears.

Special thanks to David, an unsung hero if ever there was one.

Joe, thanks for your clarity and fantastic insight.

Tree, thanks for your courage and genuine righteousness.

Thanks to Robert and Alexandra (father and daughter) for deepening the meaning of the word family.

And sincere gratitude to the EMF poster who created the "Cults in Our Neighborhood?" artwork. Truly meaningful!

But then, when one breaks free from the invisible clutches of a cult everything becomes meaningful.

And that is really worth sharing. Thanks to everyone, near and far, who has ever participated in "Life After RSE."

magic#2488 - did we know each other...? I'm Alexandra Menna, I was going out with Jim/Jimmy C. at the time, he later worked in the audio dept. I'm in CA now with a daughter of my own. If you remember me, feel free to email me. My email is below my username.

magic #2488:
my e-mail is above
I would like to correspond with you