Brainwashed at Christmas

The Time Scientology Didn’t Win

In case you missed it, I was featured today at the Underground Bunker. Just writing that story made me realize how much I left behind for Scientology. The kindness and caring of the people I grew up with is something that is unparalleled. Yet I chose to abandon that way of life for several years. This is the sequel to that Christmas.

I could write a whole story just on what the people of the village did when my mother died. I will save that for later. This focuses on my dad.

At my mother’s funeral, Genevieve Hassell, the mother of one of my close friends growing up, came up to my father and said “Elrod, you will not die alone.” This was a significant statement. My father, by that time was mostly blind. He was on CAPD. He was basically helpless. Genevieve was true to her word.

She gathered other members of the village. Together, they drove the 90 miles to the hospital. They trained on how to deliver the CAPD to my father. Genevieve then moved my father into a room in her house.

My youngest brother was overseas and my other brother was at University by then. The one in college dropped out and came home to help. All of the siblings had trained on CAPD while we were still at the hospital when mom died. But my brother with no other ties but schooling chose to come home to take care of dad. My father was not happy with this choice, but my brother stood firm.

Genevieve not only opened up her home to my father. She also organized a schedule of people who were with him around the clock. The people on this schedule are now mostly deceased or in their 70s and 80s. These people, 40 years ago, voluntarily put themselves on this daily schedule.

This was the legacy my parents left. Kind people were willing to give up time in their lives on an open ended schedule. My father was not alone for one minute after my mom died. If he wanted something to drink at 3:22 am, someone was at his bedside. A story read at 4:30 a.m? No problem, someone was there.

My brother and Genevieve and her family took the day shift with others dropping by occasionally. My cousin and his wife also drove the 150 miles from the Air Force base where he was stationed on a regular basis. On the day my father died, Easter Sunday 1984, my cousin was on his way there. They arrived less than 10 minutes after he died.

Scientology stripped me of the ability to act kindly. I was raised in an entire culture of kindness and love, yet I allowed myself to be co-opted by Scientology. The arrogance a Scientologist learns is so harmful. I am glad my upbringing was stronger than Scientology programming in the end.