Nothing but the Blood - Chapter 4 (page 2)

hotchocolate

Yay! That was great Daniel.. I do love a good story. Hey, how do I subscribe? I don't want to miss Episode 5!

xx

daniel-p

Hotchocolate, I'll create a list and put you down on it to receive a PM when I have Chapter 5 done, if you like. Anyone else who is also interested, say so and I'll put you down too.

hubert

Danielp, Thanks for chapter 4.

Please put me on the list for chapter 5, and all other chapters.

You sold me, on chapter one.

Waiting for your pm.

Hubert

Mary

Excellent read so far Daniel. I wonder how long I would have lasted at Bethel before getting das Boot. I'm guessing about 24 hours.

eljee

Thanks for the link to the reading. I'll take a PM subscription to the next parts... BTW, I can relate to much of what you are saying as I served in Bklyn from 1989 and got kicked out in 1992.

hotchocolate

Thanks a PM would be good for sure. :-) x

Open mind

daniel-p:

I adapted to the routine quickly: passing the food, trying to resist touching my face too much, and meeting everyone around the table.

WTF? Touching your face? Are we talking nose picking here? Or just resting your chin on your hands? (I guess that would require elbows on the table, which, I'm assuming, is also a big no-no?) Is this some new boy initiation ritual?

Table-Head to daniel-p: "No face-touching! It's the first link in a chain that leads to touching other things! Don't make us drag out Brother Losch again!"

Another wonderfully shared installment Daniel.

Thank you.

OM

p.s. You don't need to PM me unless you want to. I've been checking your posts since Chapter 1.

daniel-p

OM, during the first few weeks of Bethel life you're put through little talks and seminars and things with other newboys about how to conduct yourself as a Bethelite. Some of the more inconsequential things they talk about is proper conduct at morning worship. So, for instance, if you sneeze in your hands, it's good to go to the bathroom and go wash your hands. Just basic hygience stuff like that. Basically, it's to socialize the newboys who may not realize how easily germs can go around when you have 1,400 people all sitting together and ten people at a table passing food around and touching everything. No one's going to haul you in a back room or anything, they were just little "tips" for clean living.

BabaYaga

Quote: "...and the overtones of a miniature totalitarian state disguised as an institution of brotherhood..."

You are a wonderful writer and this is a joy (albeit bittersweet) to read. Incidentally, quite a poignant image, your name stamped in footprints in the snow.

Thank you.

Love,
Baba.

Nothing but the Blood - Chapter 4

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