Routines and Rules

I was going to use today to post about rules, but, I think I will also go into the routines that we had since they are all closely tied together.

We got up at 6 every morning. We had until 7:15 to be ready to go downstairs. That meant that we had to fight for the showers, blow dry hair, get dressed and get our rooms cleaned.

Our rooms were required to be immaculate at all times, and they never cut us an ounce of slack on it. Beds made, the clothes in our lockers shelves had to be lined up flush with the edge of the shelves as well as with each other. The clothes that hung had to be neat and orderly.

Getting a shower could be a real pain and it seemed that no matter how early I got up, for about the first two years of my life there I was always the last one allowed in. Of course, I was also too small and afraid to stand up for myself, but there was a good reason for that, we’ll get to that later too.

Once we were ready we would line up in front of the door that leads to the main hallway. We were not allowed to open it because our door had an alarm on it that resounded throughout the entire building.

After filing downstairs we would go by the window of the kitchen and pick up our food. If you were lucky, you got kitchen duty and then you could hang out with the cook. The only cook I remember the name of was Jimmy and man that guy rocked. He used to take us outside the door right next to the kitchen and let us smoke with him.

We would move into the dining room which, was had eight picnic style tables that we all crowded around to eat. Once we were done, we dumped our tray and moved over to one of the two couches that sat on the far end of the dining room around a small television. The only one in the entire building.

Once everyone was finished eating, which, we had to be by 745 we would head into the classrooms. Here we learned everything a blossoming teenager needed to know.

We didn’t really have authentic teachers, rather, just more staff members who acted as teachers. Still, we had books and I enjoyed learning even then.

At some point during our day, yes, every day, we would be pulled out one by one for our therapy sessions.

At 1215 we would line back up and grab our lunch.

School was over by 430 and at that we set about doing our chores. Cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming the hallways and stairway. It never took long because there were so many of us and then we would be herded into the Rec Room for a bit of relaxation time. Twice a week, those of us who had been raped or sexually assaulted went in for group therapy.

After Rec time we would again line up for dinner, which was served by 530 sharp, never late, never early. After dinner, which ended at 615 we would go into the Rec Room and hang out for roughly an hour. This was the point where most people got into trouble.

I recall heading upstairs around 730 where we would go to our rooms and get ready for bed and then spend the next hour and half hanging out in the dorm hallways. Lights out was 900.

Our behavior was measured in levels. There was “trust”, “honor” and “graduate”. Each level had 4 weeks to it and we had to carry cards around with us at all times for the staff members to mark at the end of each activity. Your card clearly marked your level and your week up at the top such as Trust Week 1, and so forth.

Each level gave you more privileges. If you reached Honors, you were able to keep a radio in your room and since chores were picked from highest ranking to lowest, you did well to obtain higher levels.

This was so hard to do though because it consisted of many things. Chores had to be done perfectly the first time. You had to participate in therapy to the satisfaction of the therapist. Of course, you could not swear or fight or any of the other mundane rules that normally accompany such a place. If at any time a staff member felt that we were not up to our potent ional at a task, they would write on the back of our cards. They went over them at the end of the week to decide if we were worthy of moving up.

The lowest level was “Probation” which meant you had a serious infraction. Running away, fighting, outright refusal to obey an order, getting restrained, getting caught with contraband were just a few of the many things that got you knocked down to probation immediately.

The first three days of probation were the hardest. All students were forbidden to talk to you and getting caught doing so was an infraction. You lost all privileges and had to sit alone for meals.

I don’t remember all of the little rules, or even all of the little things that came with each level of the point system. It wasn’t very often that anyone got to Honors let alone Graduate.

I did do it though and, that set of a chain of events that made me realize how dependant I had become on living in this kind of environment.