Indeed, I had not followed the whole discussion, it was the first post in the thread you had mentioned. I do not even remember if I read the post when it was originally posted by Ann. I vaguely remember something of that thread. What I thought was most interesting about it was Robin not really liking to touch people or being touched. My interest is not much in this striking business, but what his state of mind was then, and what it might be now.
--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@...> wrote: > > I guess you missed where this post of Ann's was discussed > at some length in the recent discussion, Xeno, huh? Too bad; > you thought you had discovered something that was being kept > under wraps. > > Now, any ideas about who the Mystery Cultist might be that > I quoted, the one person here who actually tried to excuse > Robin's striking his students in the private setting before > there were any seminars? > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" <anartaxius@> > wrote: > > > > The following is the text from post #302425 posted by Ann on Jan 22, 2012: > > ----------------- > > > > OK, this subject of seminars and physical violence seems to be a very > > important one for some of you. I am going to include a quote I received > > today from my newly-connected friend/FFL lurker/former Robin follower who > > has given me permission to use part of her email to me. She has been > > following my posts and obviously saw that I was going to address this > > subject tonight. She is an avid FFL follower as I told you before. We shall > > call her GL. You should also know that she is no apologist for Robin but > > was a Canadian involved very early on with Robin's Victoria days. > > > > I want to start with this incident she outlines in her email because > > chronologically it is the first real seminar setting which took place in FF > > back in 1982. It is the session when Lavern was allegedly struck by Robin. > > It is fortunate GL emailed me what she did otherwise I could tell you > > nothing of the incident as I was not there, I had not yet attended any > > Robin gathering. It is the seminar I told you my friend had attended and > > had piqued my interest in Robin initially. But I digress. > > > > Here is the excerpt from GL's email to me regarding the event: > > Dear Ann, > > Here's what I remember about 'hitting' or not. I think R's account Jan.17 > > was about right, message# 302057 (his last post). Were you in Fairfield in > > summer of 1982? Somewhere in the bottom of my storage boxes is a videotape > > of the Fairfield incident. (I was there, on the video crew.) I don't > > remember who else was on stage, who hit Lavern on the shoulder/back. One of > > R's devoted assistants, I have a couple of ideas, but don't want to name > > here. He said it was an accident, he turned and accidentally made contact > > with her, or was trying to keep her from falling off the edge of the > > platform. oops! It was a shock for all of us. R was furious, and found a > > way to somehow incorporate the incident into the bigger unfolding story of > > Fairfield. > > > > Now I am not sure, because I don't have the will or the stamina to go > > through the long list of posts dealing with the hitting issues, why this is > > such a hot topic or by who(m?) it has been brought up (but I am guessing > > perhaps Vaj) or even what the exact questions regarding hitting are. So > > bear with me and may I assume it is a simple question like," Did Robin ever > > make physical contact with a confrontee that could be described as assault > > ?" Hopefully that is close enough. The simple answer is, "Yes, I saw Robin > > make/imply physical contact with a confrontee that could be described as > > assault." > > > > There is something you first need to know about Robin in the old days. He > > abhorred being touched or touching people (at least the people I know). He > > used a silk cloth to sit on, especially in public places, he would often > > have a wet cloth handed to him after making contact with his hand with > > someone on stage. It was so rare to get a touch from Robin that it was > > considered a great honour to have him lay a gentle hand on your shoulder. > > > > I have witnessed so many confrontations they must number in the hundreds. > > They could arise during a meal, a walk or in the far more formal setting of > > a taped seminar. I missed virtually nothing as I was a permanent fixture as > > one of two camera operators. Hours and hours standing behind a big tripod > > my eye to the viewfinder watching every second with our switcher in the > > back punching between cameras for optimal camera angles. > > > > Assault figurative attack or bombard (someone or the senses) with > > something undesirable or unpleasant. > > My dictionary gave me this definition so let's run with it. > > > > Confrontation was not that fun. Trust me on this. It could be an assault > > on the senses, yelling or just having to hear what you did not want to > > hear. And in one case I remember there was what I believe to be an assault > > on the body, by Robin. I only remember it as an assault because the result > > was that the confrontee's eyeglasses were broken. The glasses fell off of > > the confrontee's face and hit the ground and were broken. I do not know if > > they were broken while still on this man's face or broke when they hit the > > ground. I remember feeling very shocked and very sad because this was > > Robin's best, oldest male friend and the vulnerability of this man standing > > there with his eyeglasses shattered at his feet was deep enough to stick in > > my memory. I can not say if there was real force involved and there > > certainly wasn't blood and I can not even say if there was contact or just > > implied contact and the confrontee moved his head quickly and the glasses > > spun off. But to me this was an assault because in that moment a man > > appeared shattered along with his glasses. And at the time I did not > > understand why it had to be. > > > > So I am sorry to have to disappoint anyone hoping for a real knock down > > drag 'em out expose. Robin simply did not punch or kick or throw people > > around. He was not a physically violent man. No one ended up with stitches > > or bruises or bloody noses. > > > > This writing has been hard on me. I think I want to stop now. > > ----------------------- > > >
