Alma Sandoval
Professor Delaporte
Religious Communes
April 16, 2016
Guest Speaker Naomi & her life at Synanon
It was an honor and pleasure to have Naomi come speak in our class the other day. As each group continues to do scarce research on information about an organization that was popular in the 60’s, it was a lot more helpful to learn about the lifestyle and culture of Synanon by someone who personally lived it and was part of this group back when it was alive. Naomi shared with us pieces from the book she is writing about and my initial reaction was shock to see that she was at ease and in acceptance at what her childhood was like. In a world and surroundings she thought was normal was actually not whenever she got the chance to step outside the gates of Synanon to see her father. She never got to experience or hear about the prime era of the hippie movement, which was just a couple miles away from her. Essentially, she was disconnected from the world and didn’t really know about it until later on. Her entire excerpt was not only moving but it also gave me the chills to see a young child like her be put through the Game, which she described as just “downright horrible” . If she felt this way as a kid, I could only imagine every other kid that had to go through it. It created problems, mental and emotional distress, anger and insecurity. As she discusses the locations at which she stayed at with the other kids, I am able to identify the town near Marshall and afterwards the relocation to the Hatchery, which is also known as the Strip. The strip was better known for the location where they would have social gatherings, dances, training and participation in the Game. Considering many of the kids who grew up being a part of Synanon didn’t necessarily have a choice as whether or not to be in it, this angered a lot of young children as they felt neglected from their parents. Parents were 99% of the time away from them and dedicated their time towards Synanon’s growth and Dedreich, while the kids felt stuck in a place they didn’t want to be and unloved and unsupported by their own families. As a result, many kids would try running away but Naomi even discussed on how any kid that tried running away would eventually be caught, brought back and severely punished. Punishments were more than likely to be beatings. Naomi also mentioned she was one who tried running away but after several days was caught and found making it as far out in Laguna Beach; however, she never mentioned if she was beaten for it. After her reading, I realized how content and happy she is with her life now because something that made her different as a kid without getting a choice, does not define the person she is now. Even though Synanon strongly encouraged vasectomies for the men and ladies, she is still able to have that normal life today with children of her very own who she is extremely close to and has a deeper appreciation for music, culture and life. As she says it, she’s “making up for all the years and eras she missed out on” and as for the closeness with her family, she’s able to give her kids the experience she never really got with her own parents which is all a mother really wants for her children, to be able to give them a better life and opportunity.
I agree with your statement that she as a person was not fully defined by her childhood experiences in Synanon, although, I do think that it impacted her in many ways because it was such an interesting and odd situation she was in. I felt that her education at Synanon was interesting and something I might want to learn more about. When she said that they didn't have legitimate transcripts and what she had to go through in order to get into college was really inspiring. I was very surprised by the fact that the children of Synanon didn't have a 'traditional' education, yet, they have all been successful in completing college and becoming entrepreneurs. I think The Game for children was a mistake and not beneficial but there has to be some reason that these kids were able to get through life after Synanon without much trouble.
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean to say is that the bad experiences she encountered during her time at Synanon do not define the person she is today because it has made her stronger and its made her work hard to not only get out from Synanon as soon she turned 18 but get herself the education she always wanted and strive for greatness by going to UC Davis. She put in the work that was needed to give herself the experiences every other kid had had, except her, and it has gotten her so far. You're very right, her life has been very inspiring and it definitely moved me when she came to class.
DeleteI agree the speaker was wonderful and she was clearly an amazing writer. It was a blessing getting to meet her. I found it really neat that her mother didn't affect her own parenting styles. Another important point I found is how the members that were once part of Synanon still meet up to this day. It was also really interesting learning about her father's struggle with changing partners.
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