Don't Call Me Brother
An effort to describe why I stayed so long30 total reviews
Comment from BethShelby
I can't imagine a more horrible situation. I'm glad God was in the leaving this nightmare behind and blessed your leaving which is proof he didn't plan on you spending eternity in Hell. Is such a place still in existence? I would have definitely starved that first week if bear was all that was on the menu. It can't be based on Old Testament Bibical principles because bear isn't even one of the clean animals okay to eat. No cloven hoofs. LOL
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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I can't imagine a more horrible situation. I'm glad God was in the leaving this nightmare behind and blessed your leaving which is proof he didn't plan on you spending eternity in Hell. Is such a place still in existence? I would have definitely starved that first week if bear was all that was on the menu. It can't be based on Old Testament Bibical principles because bear isn't even one of the clean animals okay to eat. No cloven hoofs. LOL
Comment Written 23-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Beth,
Thanks so much for the great review and thoughtful comments. When we had been there a few months, I sold our car and took some of the money to fly back home for a month. I was convinced that I was going to be the cause of the plane crashing and everyone on board dying, but I figured that hell couldn't be any worse than where I was at the time. There was a lot of turmoil going on in my spirit at the time. Obviously that didn't happen, thank God. I believe that was the only brown bear that was eaten. We ate a black bear which was good to eat, and a seal which tasted like fish and during deer season we ate them. Most of the spring and summer we ate mostly vegetables and canned salmon, which really didn't taste too good, but it kept us alive. Bears, especially brown bears are full of trychinosis, that and the taste are probably why most people don't eat them. Oh well, we survived, but I sometimes wonder how. Have a blessed day.
Tom
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I think some of these groups are able to present some reasonable arguments that convince many they will lose their salvation by leaving. It is terrible to be a unpleasant situation but fear leaving and also having used you money to be there. I glad you got out. I hope all the chilldren got out as well.
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Hello Beth,
thanks for your kind words. My kids were all twelve and under if I recall correctly. We were cranking them out like gumballs for awhile. Anyway, they all came with us. Some of the kids that grew up on the farm ended up in Juneau. A number of them, once they were freed from the bondage of the farm went off the deep end; promiscuity, drugs, booze, you name it. Eventually most of them got squared away and have been really productive members of society. I think most of them pursued a liberal line of thinking politically, not wanting to be under any restraints so to speak. It's all worked out, though I think some of the kids feel like they were cheated out of some of their childhood. Blessings
Tom
Comment from Mrs. KT
Good morning, Tom,
How you lasted ten years in that place is beyond my comprehension!
Your offering is well-paced and filled with keen descriptors. Had to read the paragraph of your Coastal Brown Bear meal in gravy twice! How unappetizing!
This paragraph really stood out for me:
What made things intolerable was the fact that I was like a square peg in a round hole. While I considered myself a Christian, I didn't identify as that alone. I was surrounded by people who seemed to want to outdo their fellow Christians by what they thought was Godly behavior I suppose. Some wanted to sing while doing menial tasks, others spoke of nothing but God and more than a few addressed me as Brother Tom. I didn't want to be "Brother Tom." I wanted to be plain Tom or Carnal Tom or Tom, Tom the Piper's son. While some wandered around the camp like they'd died and gone to heaven, with broad smiles and whistling the latest song, I was depressed and angry, tired of living but afraid of dying. If Snow White had been real I could have been one of the seven dwarves- Grumpy.
Resonating and telling on many levels.
Thank you for sharing!
diane
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Good morning, Tom,
How you lasted ten years in that place is beyond my comprehension!
Your offering is well-paced and filled with keen descriptors. Had to read the paragraph of your Coastal Brown Bear meal in gravy twice! How unappetizing!
This paragraph really stood out for me:
What made things intolerable was the fact that I was like a square peg in a round hole. While I considered myself a Christian, I didn't identify as that alone. I was surrounded by people who seemed to want to outdo their fellow Christians by what they thought was Godly behavior I suppose. Some wanted to sing while doing menial tasks, others spoke of nothing but God and more than a few addressed me as Brother Tom. I didn't want to be "Brother Tom." I wanted to be plain Tom or Carnal Tom or Tom, Tom the Piper's son. While some wandered around the camp like they'd died and gone to heaven, with broad smiles and whistling the latest song, I was depressed and angry, tired of living but afraid of dying. If Snow White had been real I could have been one of the seven dwarves- Grumpy.
Resonating and telling on many levels.
Thank you for sharing!
diane
Comment Written 23-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Diane,
thanks so much for your generous review and all the stars, I'm honored. There were a number of days when I wasn't sure I would survive Diane. For a long time, it seemed that we purposely did things the hard way, in an effort to keep from gratifying the "flesh man". It made no sense and I rebelled constantly, which of course made me stand out. Whenever people made the decision to leave, they usually came by to see me first to commiserate. I guess they knew I was sympathetic to their views and if I could, I would have left with them. Though it wasn't pleasant, God was still in control, and when it was time for me to go, He ordained it and it happened. I think I'm better for having gone through it, but I wish I could have taken a crash course instead. Have a blessed day my friend.
Tom
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
Reading this, I feel like you lost 10 years of your life while you were there. Yet, I'm sure you learned much during your time there, and in the end it helped you to get to the place where you are today. And you seem happy now, so perhaps it was worth it.
This is very well written, Tom, and stays on point while telling us the story of your time on "the farm." Thank you for sharing.
Pam
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Reading this, I feel like you lost 10 years of your life while you were there. Yet, I'm sure you learned much during your time there, and in the end it helped you to get to the place where you are today. And you seem happy now, so perhaps it was worth it.
This is very well written, Tom, and stays on point while telling us the story of your time on "the farm." Thank you for sharing.
Pam
Comment Written 23-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Pam,
thanks so much for the fine review and thoughtful comments. I used to dwell on the ten years gone. I was in the prime of my life, at least physically. However, if I hadn't moved to the farm, I would never have become a commercial fisherman, would never have seen Alaska or learned so many helpful skills that I've utilized, nor would I have written any of my books, I'm sure. For a long time after I left, I was bitter, but when I was writing about my time there, my writing became therapeutic and I feel like God was working on me to see the purpose of it all. Believe me, I wouldn't want to experience it again, but in the end, it all came out in the wash. Have a blessed day gal.
Tom
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Your story is heart rendering and those hardships must be difficult to reflect upon now and that fact that you could have left earlier. I worked in a job I hated for too long and was afraid to leave because the money was good and I didn't feel confident that I could earn the same elsewhere, so I stayed. Eventually I left and like you I didn't look back. We as humans want to make life work and I think were being slowly brainwashed on that farm. Did anyone stay longer than 10 years? I am glad you had the strength to leave and give yourselves and your children a better life. It is awful being short of money and not being able to do as you please. I feel blessed in that department and have always pleased myself. Those hardships have made you grateful and appreciative of what you have Tom and you raised 7 children, that is soo remarkable and your wife sounds like a real trooper, so you are blessed, thank you for sharing this story, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Your story is heart rendering and those hardships must be difficult to reflect upon now and that fact that you could have left earlier. I worked in a job I hated for too long and was afraid to leave because the money was good and I didn't feel confident that I could earn the same elsewhere, so I stayed. Eventually I left and like you I didn't look back. We as humans want to make life work and I think were being slowly brainwashed on that farm. Did anyone stay longer than 10 years? I am glad you had the strength to leave and give yourselves and your children a better life. It is awful being short of money and not being able to do as you please. I feel blessed in that department and have always pleased myself. Those hardships have made you grateful and appreciative of what you have Tom and you raised 7 children, that is soo remarkable and your wife sounds like a real trooper, so you are blessed, thank you for sharing this story, love Dolly x
Comment Written 23-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Dolly,
thanks so much for the wonderful review and your heartfelt comments. Yes, being without money is very trying. I try to support those in need now, having experienced the hardship that being without can bring. You asked about people being there more than ten years- as a matter of fact, some of the original folks, who were there before I was are still there. They came in April of 1975 I believe and stayed in tents until the first cabins were built. Of course things have changed drastically since those early days when there was no electricity. Now people come and go from the farm regularly, they have jobs in town and cars. The oppressive rules and regulations are no longer in force and there is much more freedom. When I was living there, there was a feeling of elitism and isolation. We were encouraged to not engage with the "carnal" people of the outside. Now they actually have businesses in town and for a number of years have invited the entire town out for a Thanksgiving feast. If things had been like they are now when I was there, who knows, maybe I would have stayed. I appreciate you gal. Have a blessed day.
Tom
Comment from Wendy G
An excellent description of your horrific situation and the feeling of entrapment. such cults and sects are experts at manipulation - emotional and financial. Very glad you finally made the brave decision to leave. Very good writing.
Wendy
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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An excellent description of your horrific situation and the feeling of entrapment. such cults and sects are experts at manipulation - emotional and financial. Very glad you finally made the brave decision to leave. Very good writing.
Wendy
Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Wendy,
Thanks so much for the exceptional review and comments. Any time you allow yourself to give up your God given rights to follow a person who considers themselves to be a representative of the Lord, you open the door to trouble. Had I examined the scriptures I probably wouldn't have been sucked in so easily. As it was, I was enamored with my neighbor, who was an elder and while we were in Charleston, it was like being a part of a family. It was a shock to discover how different things were on the farm, but by then there was no going back. The man who started the movement used to preach that he wasn't going to die, that God was going to take him right in to heaven like Elijah. When he passed away in a plane crash in South America, it was a wake up call for a lot of people. Have a blessed day gal.
Tom
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It is an amazing life story. When he was your neighbour he was doubtless ? grooming? you. It is easy to get sucked in. They are clever manipulators. An excellent story and a warning as well. Looking forward to more.
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Hello Wendy,
actually my neighbor was a lady. She was attractive and very charming, as the culture in the south had a tendency to be at the time. Her husband was someone I really liked and a few times we went fishing together. He wasn't so enamored with the farm either. We used to sneak off into the woods and smoke together. I was disappointed that he didn't tell me outright how bad it was, because he moved there before we did. He came back for a visit and made some references to being hungry but never said how bad the situation really was. Nonetheless, we remained good friends the entire time we were together on the farm. Blessings,
Tom
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
I vividly recall these grim details from your gripping book. This concise summary hits the main points and hopefully will whet the appetites of reviewers should you decide to plug your book.
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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I vividly recall these grim details from your gripping book. This concise summary hits the main points and hopefully will whet the appetites of reviewers should you decide to plug your book.
Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hi Liz,
I forgot that you had a copy. I'm a little reluctant to share too much from the book, but I felt compelled to explain why it was that I didn't leave sooner after the last post when so many people asked why I stayed so long if I hated it. I suppose I should put the books in the profile section. I'm just not all that savvy with the whole computer jargon and whatnot. Thanks so much for the fine review gal. It's good to hear from you. Have a blessed day.
Tom
Comment from lyenochka
Sorry but I used up my sixes earlier in the day (four by yesterday). I love your storytelling voice, Tom. I chuckled at "if you weren't depressed when you arrived, you would be before long" and your "Grumpy" comment, and "didn't relish the idea of spending all of eternity roasting in Hades without even the benefit of a package of hot dogs." Your sense of humor and God's grace got you through that "tunnel of trial". Because of the strength of character of both you and Jan, you managed and now you have great stories to tell!!
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Sorry but I used up my sixes earlier in the day (four by yesterday). I love your storytelling voice, Tom. I chuckled at "if you weren't depressed when you arrived, you would be before long" and your "Grumpy" comment, and "didn't relish the idea of spending all of eternity roasting in Hades without even the benefit of a package of hot dogs." Your sense of humor and God's grace got you through that "tunnel of trial". Because of the strength of character of both you and Jan, you managed and now you have great stories to tell!!
Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Helen,
thanks so much for the delightful comments. You're such a generous gal. I was blessed with a great sense of humor, though it was a trial to find anything funny for a long time. I don't know if I had much strength of character, but I did have a sense of humor, so God didn't leave me totally without during those trying years. Have a blessed day gal. I appreciate you.
Tom
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Appreciate you, too, Tom!
Comment from JT traveller
Very interesting read. As an Australian who watches documentaries on Alaska, grizzly bear meat seems to be a delicacy! Were you part of a religious cult. I am fascinated by your story. Extremely well written and it gave me an amazing insight into your ten years on the farm. Thankyou.
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Very interesting read. As an Australian who watches documentaries on Alaska, grizzly bear meat seems to be a delicacy! Were you part of a religious cult. I am fascinated by your story. Extremely well written and it gave me an amazing insight into your ten years on the farm. Thankyou.
Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Jacqueline,
thanks so much for the fine review and the interesting comments. I wouldn't give too much credit to some of the shows about Alaska. The reality shows are more fiction than reality. It just so happened that where I spent 44 years, the Discovery Channel decided to film Alaskan Bush People up the bay, about 8 miles from town. It was the phoniest thing I'd ever seen. At one point, one of the producers saw me in the hardware store and asked if I would consider being part of an episode. They wanted me to pretend that I was going to sell one of the actors my canoe. I declined. I didn't want my name associated with anything that was so deceptive. I know that a few people will say that brown bears (or grizzlies) are great to eat, but some folks like to eat snails and eels too. The older natives in town used to bury salmon heads and salmon eggs in the ground and pull them out after they had fermented. They called them stink eggs or stink heads. Every now and then someone would get sick from eating that stuff. Bears are all scavengers. While they eat primarily grass and plants in the spring, if they come across a dead deer or even a whale carcass that has been on the beach for weeks, they will feast on it. The males will kill and eat the cubs, hoping that the females will come into estrus. Of course during the salmon runs, they fatten up on salmon, including the ones that have spawned and died. They commonly have trichinosis and if one should decide to imbibe, you want to cook the meat thoroughly and of course sanitize any surface it comes in contact with. My granddaughter's husband lost sight in one eye after he skinned a brown bear and touched his eye without washing his hands. Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know. Have a blessed day gal.
Tom
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Tom. No, I want to know it all and more. Have you considered writing a book? Such an interesting tale. I am fascinated. Good on you for maintaining your integrity.
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Hi Jacqueline,
I actually wrote a book back in I believe 2007. It's titled
Wilderness Blues, A Tale of Outhouses, Rutabagas and Other Unsavory Subjects. It's available on Amazon and I also keep copies here. It was quite a trying time in my life. Thanks so much for your interest.
Blessings
Tom
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Thx Tom, just took a screenshot and shall order it when I finally get back to Australia.
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Thanks so much gal. Let me know what you think. Blessings
Tom
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I certainly shall. 😁
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
I am happy you managed to come together as a couple and pluck up your joint courage to leave what seems to have been an intolerable sort of prison / slavery. It must have been wrenching to have to leave everything behind and start again. I'm just glad it all worked out. kay
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reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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I am happy you managed to come together as a couple and pluck up your joint courage to leave what seems to have been an intolerable sort of prison / slavery. It must have been wrenching to have to leave everything behind and start again. I'm just glad it all worked out. kay
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hello Katherine,
thanks so much for the fine review and comments.
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I'm sorry, I hit send before I finished replying. You're right, the mind can become a prison just as powerful as steel bars. We had some furniture and household goods when we left, but we did have to leave behind our home, which was tough. The people who moved in had the option of paying for the building materials, but they elected not to, so I wasn't very pleased about that. However, as the saying goes, it all comes out in the wash. We've been blessed more than we deserve and I've had an experience that few will ever have. Have a blessed day gal.
Tom
Comment from Tom Horonzy
Wow. I would have exited stage right, left or into hell before sticking it out further than bear liver mush. I sorta know what they eat and eating it after they digested it? No thanks.
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reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Wow. I would have exited stage right, left or into hell before sticking it out further than bear liver mush. I sorta know what they eat and eating it after they digested it? No thanks.
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Comment Written 22-Jan-2023
reply by the author on 23-Jan-2023
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Hi Tom,
I was so hungry, probably more than I had ever experienced before, but when I saw that goo and heard what it was, there was no way I was going to put that in my mouth. Bears are notorious for having trichinosis, and of course they eat everything under the sun. Before the Hoonah dump was fenced in, they used to go up and eat pampers. They are truly a disgusting animal, fun to watch from a distance, but on the no-no list when it comes to eating. Thanks so much for the fine review and comments.
Tom
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I understand, friend.
