Polygamy Ranch Kids In For Culture Shock

I quote from a CNN story this morning. "Many of the children have seen little or no television. They have been home-schooled all their lives. They frolic in long dresses and buttoned-up shirts from another era. Now the 437 children taken from the polygamist compound in West Texas are being scattered to foster homes across the state. full story"

Hey, this news story could have been taken from my book, "Dusty Angels and Old Diaries".

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My sister, Sandra and I not only grew up with no TV in the filthy houses we lived in, we couldn't listen to a radio or have access to a newspaper.

Grandma home-schooled us when she felt like it and dressed us in long dresses with pants underneath them, but we didn't "frolic" in those clothes. We worked long hot hours in the sun in her garden from daybreak until sunset. Yes, we were "unfailingly polite" to others, but suffered bone shattering beatings for small infractions behind closed doors. We prayed "twice a day", but those prayers were reminders from God what would happen to little children who didn't obey their parents and do what they were told.

When we finally pulled away from the mental and physical abuse and grandma's terrible temper, we were in for a culture shock! We had no education. We knew nothing about current events. We had no money nor did we understand finances. Our clothing was just plain weird. Our social skills were backward and naive. We were lost in a great big fast-moving world.

For the rest of our lives have flashbacks of roaches tangled in our hair, mice nibbling on our ears and toes at night, bugs (dead and alive) in our food, and snowdrifts on our beds in the wintertime. That's just for starters!

Yesterday morning I happened to be off work and saw the Dr. Phil show where he was interviewing two boys from the Compound. His questions and their responses could have been my sister and me all over again! We didn't know that people lived any differently! We had no social skills or educational training when we became adults. Even today, it's difficult to stand up for ourselves and speak up when we want something. (Well, for some reason, my sister is pretty good at that.)

Dr. Phil asked the boys how they felt about their parents. Especially their mothers. Each one said they believe if they went back and knocked on the door they would hear several deadbolts being locked.

Religion is so ingrained in people like us that we either feel like nothing we ever do is good enough to make it past hell, or we have set up our own faith that gives us comfort and helps us understand the pain of others much more than most people!

That's also in my book!

I wonder if Dr. Phil was right in telling those two boys that they need to tell their parents that they'd love to have a relationship with them.

He said, "Say I love you. I miss you. My heart is open to you....You can build a bridge from your side. It's up to them to walk across it."

It sounded good on TV and they boys smiled at the cameras, but I don't think they believed him for a second.

I'd say, "Run away from them as fast as you can!"

There are too many roaches, mice, bugs and worms where you came from. If your family wants to change, THEY WILL BUILD THE BRIDGE BACK TO YOU. That's my advice.

Hopefully, those children will find someone who loves them for who they are and accepts them unconditionally. (Kids from this kind of abuse and subjection to powerful people are sometimes not the easiest to live with!)

Maybe they will be fortunate enough to find someone who by example, they will show them what true love and forgiveness is all about, and step-by-step they will find that the healing path is the unselfish giving of themselves to the love of the Universe.

That's a big challenge for the world to offer more than 400 lost children - not counting the children who never get to tell their story!

PS Don't miss my sister's comments that I'm sure will follow this story.

Take Care on the Journey,
Love, Linda

Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com