Now that we have a President Trump pending, I find myself wanting to widen my focus. When I first started this blog, I did so as a personal healing odyssey: I would tell my story and provide information for those seeking information.

I found my recovery through the writing process and I found other things, too. I found out that my little “exclusive” school, was just a carbon copy of cults around the world. I found that the social dynamics within the hallowed halls were exactly the same as the social dynamics in other cults – Children of God, Scientology, etc. etc. etc. So my campaign widened – I want to expose and address cults of all kinds. I want to do this in service to humanity, as a woman who now identifies as a humanist – someone who believes that all humans have a birthright to every opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. I believe that when societies invest in human potential, we can evolve into great civilizations.

But there’s a problem. It seems that power, control and fear are always at odds with compassion, love and authentic collaboration. Never was this more obvious to me than in this election and I fear that the nation has just elected and given mandate to power, control and fear.

I fear for myself, as a woman, as a Jewish person (remember the Jewish star tweet), as a Democrat, as a humanist who believes in diversity and civil rights for all.

After all we now have a president who called Mexicans rapists, claims to be the “law and order” candidate while unarmed African Americans are being killed by police, who said that Megyn Kelly was “bleeding from her where-ever” when she challenged his misogyny. He has a history of sexual assault, bragged about it. He’s proud of himself. The pussy grabber is now our president. What does this say about us as a country?

But what I fear more is my own complacency. When I became aware of the power dynamics in “school”, and I learned that other cults are exactly the same, I started to see them everywhere, politics, too.

I’ve seen and heard all about the social damage, both personal and societal. So my campaign widens again. I’m not sure what that means yet; I’m chewing on it. However, those of us who believe – like me – that ALL men and women are created equal and that we ALL should have every opportunity to grow into our true potential, we need to mobilize and come together, especially now that the orange grand poo ba of narcissism is our president. As a critical mass, we need speak out against racism, misogyny, hate-mongering and all that goes against American ideals, and is now represented by the incoming Trump administration.

Those who oppose the Trumpster are now told they are “stupid” and “misinformed” by the Trump Trolls. Trolls  have learned well from Daddy Trump and believe that if they repeat his lies enough, lies magically become truth. Thus the trolls are out there lecturing his critics: “get over it.”  They say. They are gloating about the big “win” (cough, can’t wait to see how America “wins”) and reveling in the national shock and dismay, proudly laughing at over half the country. Like Daddy Trump, they pride themselves in being assholes.

Kelly Anne Conning-her-Way, Trump’s Spinster-in-Chief, is claiming a mandate. If you buy into this bullshit, you are letting that camp gaslight the country. Don’t let the insults, the vitriol and the dismissal of over half the country – Clinton’s lead in the popular vote: 2.5 million people and the over 40% didn’t vote – silence you. We still have free speech. Let’s use it! As far as I know we still live in an imperfect democracy: let’s make sure the Trump camp doesn’t turn it into a plutocracy – rule by greedy rich people.

The United States of America is in danger of becoming the Cult o’ Trump. As fore-stated, I don’t know exactly what this means for me, except that I will be using this forum as a platform for my free speech, to speak out against civil rights violations.

That’s what I can do right now. More to come …

About guest posts: sometimes fellow “disgruntled(s)” contribute blog comments that deserves prominence. These comments are either informative, OR are too entertaining to pass up. Today’s guest post, brought to you by my fellow evil blogger’s site, is both! You see, Robert et al neglected to mention corporate headquarters in NYC to my “class” –oops. (Yes, Virginia, Boston is merely the satellite cult  — sorry).  When one day a strange, round, overly-made up, woman, swooped in unannounced, and Robert escorted her front and center, and sycophants scurried to cater to her, and “older students” asked for her “help”, and she responded in jumbled non sequiturs, and wide-eyed recipients murmured, “Thank you, Sharon”, in hushed tones, those of us not-in-the-know watched in bewilderment.

The Sharon-Show trounced through early in my tenure. I almost quit and wish I had. Some “privileged” Boston-branch attendees pilgrim to NYC for her super-evolved “instruction.” For a peek into the inner workings, see below. Ready to throw open the curtain? Visit:Standing Up To Sharon Gans. In the meantime, I personally found the below missive horrifyingly funny, AND informative:

The beginning of class was something we all endured before we slowly phased out into the mind set of “oh god when will this be over so I can go home? It’s so late, I’m so bored, Oh dear Lord is Chris going to ask a question NOW at 11:20? That guy has no sense of the room.”

One recommendation for getting onto coffee service was this: It gave you an excuse to walk around and do stuff — to leave the “magic circle” and fiddle with things in the back. No one bugged you if you were on coffee service. You had a little aura around you that suggested that you were on “teacher business” and if anyone messed with you, they could be in trouble. You could even leave the space, saying we were low on chocolate, or almonds, and go down to the deli.

Now, a few others could also leave – I know one woman who regularly left for about forty five minutes every week to copy sustainer reports. Yes, Virginia, your sustainers, or “FRIENDS”, as I heard they call them now, write up reports on your conversations to give to the teachers – they are divided into updates on your three-story house, and on your three centers, and anything else that might be interesting or useful: “Pamela finds the no drug rule to be silly and says she is still snorting coke at parties”; “Bobby says he wishes he could date Mary (not you, teacher Mary.)”.

The next week, or month, Pamela may find herself on the hot seat, grilled about her lack of respect for school and its powers and “rules” – she may feel guilty and slowly confess to her coke use. Bobby may get a sudden call and be asked if he would like to date anyone in school he’s been such a good boy – and soon Bobby and Mary are announcing their wedding – weeee! Or…..not. At any rate, I digress …

Coffee service is a bitch. Don’t do it. The only way to quit once you’re on is to have a baby. You are constantly being upbraided for not having good meals when the budget is ridiculous and the food requirements are antediluvian: this one doesn’t like chicken and that one is allergic to mushrooms – once you’ve gotten through all of them, it turns out that the only thing everyone agrees on is turkey breast, and then you get yelled at for boring meals.

Next, you get to make coffee and little plates and wash ugly mugs – you get to go up to the teachers during class and listen to their drink orders. Most of them drink strong alcohol. At one point there were about six teachers spread across the front, and another four guys as “tits” — teachers in training. The tits wanted to be worshiped too – they wanted recognition and power, so they began asking to be fed dinner and have drinks and coffee and little plates brought to them as well. Hubris! Annoying! No tips! And no budget increase.

We were told, “In school all things are possible – you should be able to feed ten people on the same amount of money as six – turkey is cheap”. Another note about coffee service – it will cost you money. And you have to take taxis with the food and stuff, and for some reason, they wanted you to buy Sharon’s God-awful hazelnut decaf at the Jefferson Market, which had terrible coffee, but she doesn’t understand food, so the next time she criticizes your cooking, please know that she is a peasant. I can’t even smell hazelnut without getting sick to my stomach – my last trigger.

Yes, coffee service has many downsides, but ladies (and gentlemen? Really? I hear in Boston a man dominates the cooking, but that’s the only thing he ever does in, or for school) – Ladies, it will get you a break from all the whining and posing, from the abuse of your comrades and the embarrassment of listening to the pomposity and ignorance of the people Sharon has appointed to guide you.