by Jane Simpson

Created on: April 12, 2009

In June of 1980, for the mathematically challenged among you, that would be almost 29 years ago, I was in Los Angeles looking for a teaching job. One afternoon when I had a couple of hours between interviews I decided to do some sight seeing. I was on Hollywood Boulevard, walking around, taking in the sights when a nice looking young man approached me and asked me if I wanted to take a "personality test". I explained that I was job hunting, and didn't have a lot of time and he further enticed me by saying that the personality test would give me some useful pointers on how to use my personality strengths to do well in interviews.

He was persistent, did I mention nice looking, and I was 21. I agreed to take the test. I was escorted into a building with some tables and chairs, given what was really more of a questionaire than what I would consider a test. I answered the questions. Someone graded it and began to discuss with me how The Church of Scientology could help me with my personality weaknesses. I freaked a little at the word "church" because I was a good little girl from Alabama who had been raised Baptist and wanted nothing to do with any crazy, off-beat churches. I had never heard of the Church of Scientology prior to that day. I made a gracious exit and went on with my life.

Unfortunately one of the questions on the personality test had been for an address. Since I hadn't yet rented an apartment in LA, I didn't have a local address. I want to think I would have known better than to share it anyway. But, I didn't know enough to make up a phony address, so I put down the address of the home I had lived in with my parents while growing up. Did I mention this was 29 years ago?

In October, 2008, twenty eight years after this happened, I wrote the Church of Scientology for about the twentieth time and requested that they please quit sending my mom mail in my name. For 29 years, she has averaged a shoebox full of mail addressed to me at her post office box, every two weeks. I've gotten magazines, posters, flyers, as well as personal letters which have begun with since you "joined" the Church of Scientology, you haven't audited any classes. Why nor? Or conversely, we'd like to invite you to attend this class as a guest speaker sharing how this class you audited has changed your life.

My mom has had phone calls asking for me with CoS showing up in the caller ID. How they got the phone number I do not know, because a few years ago Alabama added a third area code and her number changed. I don't really believe I gave a phone number back then, but assuming I did, it would not have been the one they called asking for me at, as recently as March, 2007. The onslaught has been absolutely incredible

I can't even hazard a guess as to how much money has been spent on pursuing me both through phone calls and mailings. But it has to be in the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. And I just shudder to think what might have happened if they had had an address in a more accessible area, like LA, where a personal visit might have been feasible. Since they didn't have any information on me, beyond the address of my parents 2,000 miles away, mail, and phone calls, were really the only way to pursue me. And they have been relentless in that pursuit for 29 years.

To me, this says cult. Once you join, even though I actually didn't, you never get away.

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