More "odds and ends"
I liked Lyman Swingle (Governing Body Member)......He was from Alabama, he knew how to curse at the right time. I think, that’s why I went to him, when I was having so much trouble with my future wife’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 had heard in the bindery. "Brother Swingle" the kid said "I heard some brothers cursing, in the Bindery!"...........Swingle said "Really, just what in the HELL did they say?" I think, he like to shock people.
Another time my roommate was on the elevator, with Wayne Julliano (one of the Bethel barbers) and Lyman..........Wayne was wearing a black suit, with red top stitching, (Hey it was the 1970's). Wayne always dressed on the NPG side of things. Lyman looks over at him and said "Were did you get that suit? Nigger town?" Yep, he was very down to Earth. My best Swingle story is totally true!
Ronnie K (a friend of my wife who was at bethel too) from Louisiana. Told me my favorite story about Brother Swingle. ....Ronnie set on Lyman’s table. This new black kid was sitting there................Lyman said to him ......."Boy would you pass me the potatoes?"......The black brother said to Lyman....... "I'm NOT YOUR BOY!" .......To which Lyman said, not batting an eye............"NIGGER, pass the potatoes." Yes, Bethel was not the place to try and be uppity.
They don't want to hear what YOU think about things. If you have a "better idea" about how to make things work better, best thing to do is keep your mouth shut. They don't want to hear, about your better way of doing things. Or how they could be wrong about something. It doesn't matter how much experience you had in any field of work. I had cooking experience for 3 years before I came to Bethel. So where did they put me for my work assignment, the laundry. The same week I came in to Bethel, another guy came too, ........He had worked in a professional Laundry for 2 years.....so where do they put him............you guessed it.....the Kitchen.......They like you dumb, that way they can mold you and to teach you, there way of doing things, the only way of doing things "the Bethel Way." They want empty heads. That system, works really good for the rest of their religion too.
The first Apostate I ever saw a guy we called "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 never took a bath. She lived in "The Margret Hotel" (before it burned down) next door to the 107 building. She would follow us Bethelites down the street, yelling obscenities and every foul name you could think 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, it’s 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.
I didn’t get mugged in N.Y.C while I was there. I came close a few times. The factory area was a scary 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 to walk really fast. If you spotted a group of strange people on a corner you would walk 5 blocks out of the way, to put as much distance between you and them. One of the best defenses is looking and acting totally NUTS! One time it looked like I was going to be totally cornered. I started screaming at the top of lungs......MOTHER.. F....ERS!..........MOTHER.....F.....ERS! and a little saliva running out of my mouth helps too..........I know you guys think I'm totally lying, but I swear that saved my life twice. One time on a subway. It’s 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. When they were 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, let’s 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 Manhattan 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 "I bet you make more money then me. 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.
A homeless person was making more money than us a month.
A friend of mine was mugged in NYC. I guy pulled him down an alley and put a gun to his head. The mugger said “Give me your money or I’m going to blow your brains out.” My friend thought for a minute and said “You better shoot….one thing I know about New York you can live here with brains but you got to have MONEY!