Glenda
Crusader
Preamble: in the beginning of my journey away from scientology I would come to this site and read. Often it was in the middle of the night as I sat alone in Shanghai. I was very confused. Very lost. You may say none of this matters, that it is merely the nostalgic rantings of a woman who should pick up her knitting and STFU. But it does matter and it isn’t about me. (I do NOT have any knitting either) 
Happy 10th birthday ESMB! Yes it’s been 10 years since this board was started. During those ten years many have come and gone. People have changed. Some of our finest members have even died.
Loving remembrance to all who have passed on. Rest in Peace dear friends.
I’ve been attempting to identity what ESMB means to me and what its strengths might be. This stuff matters. Why? There are still a lot of people still caught up in scientology. For each of us the path away from the cult of scientology is different. There really are 50+ ways to leave your (lover) cult. Each of us took a different route to get ourselves to “safe ground”.
For me ESMB was pivotal in keeping me upright and moving forward. I read this site like someone who had found an oasis in a desert. I could find no other accessible place on the internet where I could begin to share my thoughts. I did try to join another board (OCMB?) but never heard back from anyone so I could get an account activated. I remember sitting there weeping about that. I was so alone and needed a community of people who understood what was happening to me.
When I eventually started posting on ESMB I had zero confidence. I’d never posted anything on a message board plus my nerves were shot from the awakening I’d had. I’d sit at my computer shaking, doing an excellent rendition of someone in the middle of nervous break-down. I remember the hope that ESMB brought into my very messed up life. I figured if others could make it, so could I. Hope is a pretty powerful thing to give someone. I remain grateful. Thank you to all who have posted on ESMB, told their stories and shared information. It helped save my life. Yes, I mean that.
The fact is there are many others behind us. ESMB is possibly the only place on the internet that an ex can land, read and begin to explore their “new voice”. I think ESMB is unique in that. A community where others have been through similar experiences, speak the lingo and can share loads of helpful stuff. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read that I got the titles to off ESMB. Loads.
Facebook is not in the same ballpark. I’ve explored FB the past few years. It is not a safe place for a person in the middle of the night, falling apart, to find a connective community. There are closed groups on FB but they are closed. They are no use to a person to either read or participate without already having connections. And the FB format is hopeless for finding things.
ESMB for me was a place where I could begin to explore the major trust issues I was facing. Who the hell do you trust when you’ve walked away from all you knew and your head is full of paranoia and uncertainty about the world in general? ESMB helped me to begin to establish a sense of trust with the world.
One of the most powerful strengths of ESMB is its accessibility and though the search engine here often sucks (sorry but it does) there are easy to find sub-forums to dig into and find relevant stuff one may be looking for.
What are your thoughts about the strengths of ESMB? Can we please agree to remain on the strengths for a bit before we hit into the weaknesses? Yes there are weakness. That's how this gig called life works. That’s also how humans come, in all sizes and shapes, with both strengths and weaknesses.
What are the strengths of this message board that we can isolate, define and celebrate?
Happy 10th Birthday ESMB!
Happy 10th birthday ESMB! Yes it’s been 10 years since this board was started. During those ten years many have come and gone. People have changed. Some of our finest members have even died.
Loving remembrance to all who have passed on. Rest in Peace dear friends.
I’ve been attempting to identity what ESMB means to me and what its strengths might be. This stuff matters. Why? There are still a lot of people still caught up in scientology. For each of us the path away from the cult of scientology is different. There really are 50+ ways to leave your (lover) cult. Each of us took a different route to get ourselves to “safe ground”.
For me ESMB was pivotal in keeping me upright and moving forward. I read this site like someone who had found an oasis in a desert. I could find no other accessible place on the internet where I could begin to share my thoughts. I did try to join another board (OCMB?) but never heard back from anyone so I could get an account activated. I remember sitting there weeping about that. I was so alone and needed a community of people who understood what was happening to me.
When I eventually started posting on ESMB I had zero confidence. I’d never posted anything on a message board plus my nerves were shot from the awakening I’d had. I’d sit at my computer shaking, doing an excellent rendition of someone in the middle of nervous break-down. I remember the hope that ESMB brought into my very messed up life. I figured if others could make it, so could I. Hope is a pretty powerful thing to give someone. I remain grateful. Thank you to all who have posted on ESMB, told their stories and shared information. It helped save my life. Yes, I mean that.
The fact is there are many others behind us. ESMB is possibly the only place on the internet that an ex can land, read and begin to explore their “new voice”. I think ESMB is unique in that. A community where others have been through similar experiences, speak the lingo and can share loads of helpful stuff. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read that I got the titles to off ESMB. Loads.
Facebook is not in the same ballpark. I’ve explored FB the past few years. It is not a safe place for a person in the middle of the night, falling apart, to find a connective community. There are closed groups on FB but they are closed. They are no use to a person to either read or participate without already having connections. And the FB format is hopeless for finding things.
ESMB for me was a place where I could begin to explore the major trust issues I was facing. Who the hell do you trust when you’ve walked away from all you knew and your head is full of paranoia and uncertainty about the world in general? ESMB helped me to begin to establish a sense of trust with the world.
One of the most powerful strengths of ESMB is its accessibility and though the search engine here often sucks (sorry but it does) there are easy to find sub-forums to dig into and find relevant stuff one may be looking for.
What are your thoughts about the strengths of ESMB? Can we please agree to remain on the strengths for a bit before we hit into the weaknesses? Yes there are weakness. That's how this gig called life works. That’s also how humans come, in all sizes and shapes, with both strengths and weaknesses.
What are the strengths of this message board that we can isolate, define and celebrate?
Happy 10th Birthday ESMB!
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