Kevin Fallon

Do you know if there is anything left of TWI outside the US?

Thanks to someone who is still 'in', I know that there is something going on in Venezuela. Apparently, it is big enough to have a LC or Country Coordinator or whatever they term it now.

Is that the guy from Glad magazine?

He still owes me some $$

Same here. Wonder if I 'reminded' him he would extend the subscription to the current magazine?

I'd want to get a bird so I could use it to line the cage.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Mike Carberry. Mike is likely the first real victim of TWI that I knew.

I don’t recall all of the details of Mike’s history, but some do stand out. He came from a broken home. He rarely talked to me about his father, and his mother seemed to be doing her own career thing. Mike was living with his maternal grandparents in Bellerose, Queens. Mike was under the care of a psychiatrist, and took some pretty strong meds at times. He told me his income for part of the time came from disability payments because of his problems.

When I first met Mike, he was a grad. How he came to take the class, I’m not sure, but I think it had something to do with a girl. By the time I met him, she was no longer in the picture. He took the class with his buddy – can’t remember his name.

At least in the fellowships I was a part of, Mike found acceptance and friendship. When I moved out of Bellerose, I got the impression that some of the fellowships he was a part of were not as uplifting to him.

Early on he relied on his buddy to drive him to fellowship. From what he said, he couldn’t get a license because of the meds. Eventually, he was able to get his license and bought himself a scooter. That gave him a tremendous amount of freedom. It also allowed him to eventually get a job.

I recall one Sunday night I got a call from Mike around 7:00 – he was desperate. He and his buddy had taken the scooter and gone to upstate NY to go camping for the weekend. The scooter had broken down (a flat I think) – and they were stuck about 60 miles north of NYC. After making a few phone calls, no one else was available to go get them, so I took my little hatchback and drove up there in the rain. Somehow we managed to get the scooter, their gear and them in my little car, and we drove back down.

He got the scooter fixed and drove it for a while longer until he was involved in an accident that broke his wrist. While he was recuperating, the damaged scooter was stolen from his grandparents’ house. The recuperation involved some pretty heavy duty meds, and it made him a little weird to some people. It took a while, but he got a settlement from the accident, and bought himself a new car. He was so proud of that red Dodge Daytona.

After I got married, we stayed friends. We’d see him at regional gatherings, and had him over for dinner now and then.

About the time my wife and I were deciding to move to NC, Mike met some girls from TWI who were living in Charleston, SC. Somehow, they invited him to be a part of their home to ‘Move The Word’. He moved down there in July of 1989.

In August, my wife and I moved to Greensboro. I got a couple of telephone calls from Mike, and could tell that things weren’t working out quite the way he had hoped. He was still putting up a good front, though.

Late one night in September I got a call from the Charleston Medical Examiner’s office. He said they found Mike in his car in a garage with the engine running. Looking through his things, they came across my address in NC, and since I was geographically the closest to Charleston they were hoping that I was related to him. When I told them I wasn’t, they asked for contact information in NY. I told them what I could and the next day made some calls to a few folk in NY who might want to know what happened.

A day or two later, Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston. The city was shut down for about a week. During that time, I got a call from Mike’s mother. She just could not accept what I was told by the ME. With the hurricane damage, she wasn’t able to contact anyone in Charleston. It was not a pleasant phone call.

Mike was a True Believer. He really thought that if he could just go somewhere and ‘Move The Word’ he would be blessed and see the ‘Abundant Life’. He wanted what we all want out of life – acceptance, companionship and love – and thought that the agenda of TWI would help him achieve those things. In the end he died frustrated, distraught, hopeless and alone.

R.I.P. Mike Carberry.

there are some theories that the internet began in the 1960s, perhaps had he received revelation he would have claimed that it was his idea, like when he invented McDonalds.

I had forgotten all about that claim! When was it he came up with that little gem? Was it AC '79?

... I thought things show up in the parents first then the kids. It's weird that I got it then he does.

One thing that I haven't seen brought up here is genetic testing.

On the day that we were married, my wife felt a lump. One surgeon thought the other symptoms were just an infection. Antibiotics and see me in 2 months. My wife felt God telling her to get it checked again. Found another surgeon who immediately did a biopsy. Turned out to be Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). Very aggressive - gets in your skin and spreads quickly. Two months after the first surgeon, she was 3 weeks into chemo.

She was only 42 - how could she get this? Being the curious type, she started researching. About 2 years ago she had a genetic test done. Turns out she has the BRCA-1 gene mutation. Explains a lot. Treatment: take anything that could become cancerous. Over the past 4 1/2 years it seems like much of our time has revolved around surgeries, doctor visits, etc. Because of the IBC and BRCA gene, they want to watch her for longer than 5 years.

Most family docs only look at the mother's side when assessing a woman's risk for BC. Especially if a gene mutation is involved, they also need to look at the father's side. In my wife's case, her father died of lung cancer. 25 years ago, they said it was caused by the asbestos he worked around and was aggravated by his smoking. Probably. But look at his siblings - a sister had BC at 29. A brother just died of pancreatic cancer last year. A niece has already had BC. His grandmother died of 'consumption'. Her mother's family shows no evidence of cancer for at least 4 generations. In men, the mutation usually results in pancreatic cancer. For women: BC, ovarian and cervical. For those with the mutation, there is an 80% chance of occurrence, and then a 60% chance of recurrence.

We are convinced that the gene mutation, which is hereditary, came from him. The bad news is, none of his relatives want to be tested. Now that the specific mutation is known, the test is simple and cheap.

For my wife, it means her two daughters have a 50/50 chance of having the mutation. When they reach 25, they should both be tested.

From our TWI days, we would have been told that there was a spiritual problem here. 'Sins of the fathers' and all that. Believe and it will go away - NOT!

If you have a family history of cancer on either side, be especially alert for any signs. If you think there is a pattern, it is particularly important that the ladies be aware of the potential risks. For those who want more information, check out Facing Our Risk Of Cancer Empowered (FORCE)- http://www.facingourrisk.org

David was from Lima, but I think he joined TWI in FL. Worked at Disneyworld. WOW in ND 80-81. His sweetheart was in Phoenix the same year. Got married to her in the Fall of 81 at HQ. Think he worked on staff there as Way Builders.

how about I left before it all came out and learned about it here.

and Wasn't surprised

I'm with her on that.

I was looking for some old friends from my TWI days, and Google brought me here.

Personally, I'm not here to vent about what was wrong in the past. At least for me, some of it was good. A lot was not. I (frequently) was the one who just didn't quite get the program. That's probably a good thing, because I was usually thinking for myself. Even today, I just don't blindly follow 'leadership'.

There are many folks I'd like to hear from, so I spend most of my time here 'lurking'. I read the posts about what has happened over the past 20 years or so that I have been 'out'. Sometimes I wonder if I had stayed 'in', would I have been a victim too? Maybe I would have been on the other end? I'll never know.

In the mean time, I thank God that He has brought me to where I am.

My heart breaks as I read the accounts of how some of the posters have been hurt. I am especially touched when I read the stories of how the children were treated and taught. As an adult, I can take responsibility for my actions because I chose to believe and follow the doctrines I did. The kids are an entirely different story.

I still have a passion for God - maybe even more so then I did 'then'. I want to see more people really come to know Him. However, I am also more cautious. I am keenly aware of how charismatic leadership can easily cause some to stumble.

There is a saying: 'Hurting people hurt people'. I don't say much here because it might come from a hurt - and that would only hurt someone else. I would rather read the posts and pray for those who are hurting. When the time comes that I have something to say that can heal someone's heart, I will.

In the mean time - I'll just lurk.

Here's my history - Lived in Bellerose. Took the class in Queens with Jerry & Margie Mc Sh**ry. IIRC it was at the Flushing Way Home. Sat next to Tina A. Doris D., Tom L. and someone else lived there. First twig was at Hidla DuB's (Ralph's Mom) apartment in Glen Oaks.

Hooked up with Sam P. when he and Mike S. came back from upstate 'assignment' - and started doing sound for for his band. Went W.O.W in 80-81. Thought sure I would get sent somewhere warm. How about Fargo, ND? Interesting year - I survived and finished it out.

Returned to NY, and hooked up with the LI folk. Still did sound, so I was at almost all down-state meetings. Travelled with the bands up and down the East Coast. Met my wife, Martha, while working for Sam in his business. Married by Richie D. in 86.

She was from NC, so we moved here in 89. Pretty much out by then - things had sort of fallen apart for us in NY.

Martha passed away in 03. Now remarried to someone who has no idea what TWI is about. Live in Smithfield, NC. Starting to bleed blue.

Kevin, is that the Kew Gardens Way Home or the Queens Village Way Home?

I've been looking at other pics from this same class, and I'm thinking it was Kew Gardens. Memory is real fuzzy, but I think you and I were the ones facilitating. BTW - I was coming to the class straight from work, so I was still dressed for the office. That explains the pens and tie.

Congratulations on your accomplishment.

This hits home for me, as my late wife was in your 'before' state when she passed. I can relate to to what you said were going through, and even more to the things you didn't say.

I'm new here, but I can see that what you've done with GSC is helping many. My thanks.

Aww heck. I was thinking that the guy in the red hair and mustache was Ron Howard.

:B)

Ron Howard? Then I'd be bald now!!. The colors didn't survive the years well - my hair was actually dirty blonde. That's me.

From Flushing, NY in the late 70's.

Anybody know how the whereabouts of the Goldberg's?

Art & Valeri

Paul

Where you at?

M is in the Richmond, VA area, driving a truck and gigging with his band.

Where you at?

Going back a couple of years, J was back on LI. He was managing a bowling alley in Queens.