By that time I didn't feel I was being mis-used - it was just part of the junk one had to put up with if one had no money (which makes you a darling of the Movement) and wants to stay and be part of the MIU experience.
I actually liked Bill although he was a bit aloof but I reckon he learned that from TM higher ups. When I did get ticked off was at the end of school year 1987 when he and my direct supervisor Brad O'nash called me in for the normal staff interview to see if I would be staying, talked about the extreme importance of the upcoming banquet for the DAC (Development Advisory Council) and asked me if they could count on me as the head of the bakery to do all the extra work making desserts for the banquets and I said yes of course I am not going anywhere. Then as soon as I had promised to do my best Bill told me I had to leave MIU immediately after the banquet weekend was over because I wasn't participating in group program. When I reminded him that I had Greg Wilson's written permission to do program in my room, Bill who had obviously prepared said "That is the Capitol (of the Age of Enlightenment) they don't tell us what to do over here at MIU. So you are going to have to leave after the last day of the DAC weekend. This was only about 2 weeks away, mind you. When I asked how long I had between the end of the banquet and leaving MIU, Bill said "5 oclock." "What?" says I. Bills says "The last meal of the banquet is noon, we want you out by 5 oclock that afternoon." Then I did get mad and told them that if that was the deal, I would pack up and leave right then and they could come make the breads and desserts for the DAC deal. Neither of them was willing to do anything so extreme and after they took me to task for going back on my agreement to do all I could with the banquet (which I countered with what the hell do you think you are doing to me?) they asked me how much time I wanted and I said 2 weeks from the last day of the banquet. Bill said that was too long and I got up to leave and said "Then the two of you will have to bake those desserts." They were both mad, but had to back down. Real baking is an art and there was no one else who could have stepped in and done what had to be done. After I walked out of the office, I just shook my head and laughed. It was just typical Movement trash behavior. And so I kept my word, did a great job with the banquet in addition to my regular duties. The banquet went well and I even saved the day by preventing a very obstinate and bullheaded Purusha guy they had sent me from ruining the dessert for a thousand people by not following my instructions (I was mad enough to punch him) And left 2 weeks later - it was just typical Movement treatment by the powers that be towards the people who actually make the Movement successful - from what some of your write, things have not improved in the last 25 years. ________________________________ From: Share Long <sharelon...@yahoo.com> To: "FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com" <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 1:33 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday Jason, it's my experience that in every organization there are at least a few good people. Michael, I had a similar interview to yours. I am so sorry you were given such a hard time. I admire how you handled the situation. ________________________________ From: Jason <jedi_sp...@yahoo.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 4:05 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday You know, all these cults and religions have his 'shit herd' mentality. I am thankfull that I never lived inside any cult or org. Being on the outside gave me a 'ringside view' of a spectrum of these things. I talk to a lot of people who are in cults and get an idea of what is happening inside. You are better off alone. All these orgs and cults are inhabited by such bureaucratic, pedantic, dicactic, dogmatic, zombie bots. --- Michael Jackson <mjackson74@...> wrote: > > Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. I quit going > to the Dome when I was on staff due to a really serious allergy to > formaldehyde, which in those days at least was a major component in making > foam. > The longer I was in the Dome, the worse I felt. > > > So I stopped > going. I did program by myself in my pod room and felt great both in and out > of > program. As twice a day in the Dome was part of the staff program, I was > called > in to the Personnel Director's office (Bill Sands) and he gave me a serious > talk and threatened me with dismissal if I didn't start toeing the line. > > I told him about the allergy and he said it didn't matter, > rules were rules. I showed him the letter I had from my allergy doctor (Allen > Lieberman in Charleston SC) saying that I had to avoid formaldehyde exposure. > Bill > said it still didn't matter. Rules were rules. No exceptions. > > So I returned to the Dome and after a couple days started > feeling like crap again. So I thought about things and decided to write a > letter to then TM Sidhi Administrator Greg Wilson and told him my story and > sent him a copy of the letter from my allergy doctor. > A > nd a couple weeks later to my surprise he wrote me a letter > back giving me permission to do program in my room, tho he suggested that I > might consider serving MIU in some other capacity since Dome attendance was > part of staff program. So I quit going to the Dome again. > > A couple weeks went by and I was called into Bill Sands office > again, with my letters in my pocket. After he gave me hell and pretty much > told > me my time at MIU was over, I told him I had permission from Greg Wilson and > showed him my letter, or rather a copy of it, I wisely had the original in my > room. > > Bill was completely discombobulated and hemmed and hawed and > puffed and blustered but had to back down, but he didn't like it. So I went > back to doing program in my room and had great experiences and was much more > effective in activity for about eight months until Bill found a way to get rid > of me. > > > > ________________________________ > From: Buck <dhamiltony2k5@...> > Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 12:52 PM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fw: The Science of Compassion, for Wednesday > > > This being Compassionate Posting Wednesday on FFL where ne'er a negative word > is written, I am not going to go on at all about just how stoopid and > undeserving it is that meditators who even live in Fairfield do not come to > the group meditation. No, I'll save that for tomorrow and then may be also > consider the fallen away and outright meditation quitters out in the world > too; all those who have fell off the meditation wagon and even walked away > entirely. I am excercising a lot of compassion for them all right now today, > -Buck in the Dome >
