More "odds and ends"
I liked Lyman Swingle (Governing Body Member)......he knew when to curse at the right time. I think, thats why I went to him, when I was having so much trouble with Debbie's parents.......he seemed "cool" and down to earth.............He might have been bit of a racist though.
One time a self righteous (known as SR) new boy, went to him and complained about what he heard in the bindery..........."Brother Swingle" the kid said "I heard some brothers cursing, in the Bindery!"...........Swingle said "Well......Just what the HELL did they say?"........
Another time my roommate was on the elevavator...........with Wayne Julliano (one of the Bethel barbers) and Lyman..........Wayne was wearing a black suit......with red top stitching, (HAY.......IT WAS THE 70's).........Lyman looks over at him and said "Were did you get that suit?..........Nigger town?"
Ronnie L.......Told me my favorite story about Brother Swingle. ....Lyman was a table head, this new boy black kid was sitting there................Lyman said to him ......."Boy would you pass me the potatos?"......The black brother said....... "I'm NOT YOUR BOY!" .......To which Lyman said, not batting and eye............"NIGGER.....pass the potatos"
They don't want to hear...... what YOU think about things.........If you have a "better idea" about how to make things work better, there...........keep it to yourself. They don't want to hear, how you have a better way of doing things, or even how they could be wrong about something. It doesn't matter how much experience you had in any field work. I had cooking experience for 3 years before I came to Bethel, so you know where they would put me.........The Lanudry. The same week I came in to Bethel, another guy came too, ........He had worked in a professional Lanudry for 2 years.....so were do they put him............you guessed it.....the Kitchen.......They like you dumb, that way they can mold you, they want to teach you, the only way of doing things "the Bethel Way", they want empty heads......That system, works really good in their religion too.
The first Apostate I ever saw...........was "Mr Frog"...........We called him that, because he always wore a green suit. He would stand in front of the 124 building, just before lunch, screaming at the top of his lungs, on the evils of Knorr and the organization........with 100's of Bethelites walking pass him. We hated......that guy. Some friends of mine wanted to beat him up, but we knew, if we were caught, there would be hell to pay.
"The locals" in Brooklyn Heights, hated us too, they had their own newspaper......where they blasting us all the time.There was this one crazy women, who was there for years, we called her "Lady Margret"......She was a 300 lb. crazy women, who lived in "The Margret Hotel" (before it burned down) next door to the 107 building. She would follew us Bethelites down the street, yelling obscenities and every foul name you could thing of............You mother f........ers, blank, blank, blank, not one sentence didn't have a curse word in it............One day walking to the factory......Right before I left.....she was there, standing on the corner...... she was saying......"You boys want any soup?...........You boys want any soup?......You boys want any soup?..........I looked over to my friend and said........."I don't believe it.........its the first time in 4 years she hasn't cursed at us.".........The very next second after I said that, she said.......... "YOU.......BLACK BASTARDS,...WHAT ANY SOUP OR NOT?...we just laughed...everyone just loved us.
Why didn't I get mugged in N.Y.C while I was there?........I came close a few times. The factory area was a scarey place late at night. If you couldn't find a parking space at 2:00 a.m. Sunday night which was the case most of the time, that was the only place you might find a spot at. Walking back from there, through the park.........good luck.The Key was walk really fast.......also to spot any strange group of people on a corner and walk 5 blocks out of the way, to put as much distance between you and them. The third thing which is the best defence is look and act.............. totally NUTS! If it looks like you are going to be cornered............Screaming at the top of lungs......MOTHER.. F....ERS!..........MOTHER.....F.....ERS! and a little saliva out of your month helps too..........I know you guys think I'm totally lying, but I swear that saved my life twice.........One time on a subway. Its late one night I'm on this subway car by myself........3 teenagers get on my car........2 from one end and one from the other end.They started walking towards me. I was wearing an army trench coat............about 10 feet away, I put my hand under my coat, looking like I could have a gun on me, I grit my teeth and looked at them.......as if to say...... you want to party, lets go!.........They looked at each other and just keep on walking...........No one wants to mess with crazy people.....I don't.......do you? If you are going to mug someone, you want someone who isn't going to give you any problems.
I was in Lower Manhatten driving my piece of shit car one Saturday......I pull up to a stop sign and this tramp walks up and starts trying to clean my windshield with a rag that looked like he blew his nose in it a few times.........after 15 seconds he asked for a buck.................I said "Are you CRAZY?...... YOU give me a buck!.......he said "why?"............I said "how much money do you make a month?".....He said " I don't know............. with my VA check...... maybe 3-4 hundred. .....I said "I make 22 bucks a month....YOU give ME......a BUCK".........He didn't believe me.......I'm not sure, I believe it either.......I think It was just a bad dream somethimes.