Free Ruthless by Ron Miscavige Page B

auditor asks the person who he might be having trouble with, and he lists them: “Um, let’s see . . . there’s my father . . . my sister . . . my girlfriend, oh, yeah, my English professor . . . there’s one of my roommates . . . and my mother. That’s all I can think of.” These might cause a reaction as he thinks of them, but if uncertain, the auditor can then simply call off each item again and note the reaction. That is an assessment and how it is used in auditing.
    This student, who was not a native English speaker, had the habit of mispronouncing the word asparagus, which was one of the practice items on a list of vegetables. He always mispronounced it aspa-RA -gus . We all heard him saying this in the course room, but David was the only one who pointed it out and told him how to say the word correctly. The guy really appreciated it. David was always determined to do everything correctly, chapter and verse, and help others do it that way too.
    The course ended at about 5:00 p.m. each day, and then we usually shopped for food before the stores closed, went home and made dinner. After dinner we all just kind of hung out until it was time for bed. The next morning, we got up, ate breakfast and headed off to the course again. That pretty much describes our family life for the whole time we were at St. Hill.
    When I reflect on that period, I can see it was a great time to be a Scientologist in England. As I said, the place was crowded. A grassy hillside opposite the church facilities was always filled at lunchtime with people enjoying a bite and chatting, spending time with their families or just relaxing in the sun (on a sunny day, that is). We usually went to the canteen to buy something to eat and sat out on the lush grass to enjoy our break.
    A fabulous camaraderie existed among the people there. We shared a feeling that Scientology was something that was going to help everyone: the world, oneself, one’s family, everybody. The expectations of what Scientology could do for people were really high. It infused the entire culture around St. Hill with a positive, hopeful atmosphere. Cottage industries sprung up that manufactured leather or wooden cases to put your E-meter and study materials in. People were contributing to the movement because they wanted to, not because they were being badgered or shamed into it, as they are today.
    People regularly dropped in at our house for a meal or simply to talk. Our door was always open and anybody was welcome. It was very laissez-faire living and really wonderful.
    We loved going into the shops in town. The store owners definitely appreciated the extra business that Scientologists brought to East Grinstead. One time I went into WHSmith, a bookshop, to look for a particular dictionary. Hubbard placed a lot of emphasis on knowing the meanings of words you encountered in your studies, so students were always buying dictionaries. I asked the shopkeeper for the dictionary that was currently in favor around St. Hill. He said with some consternation, “Hold on, you mean you don’t want the World Book Dictionary? Will you people please make up your minds? I’ve got a roomful of them in the back.”
    Everything about East Grinstead was different and quaint. I loved the place. Another time I went into a grocery store and asked for aluminum foil. “We don’t do that,” I was told. For some reason I had to go back to Smith’s to buy aluminum foil! Go figure.
    Housewives shopped daily for ingredients. You’d see them out pushing their perambulators, their babies’ cheeks a healthy red from the chill. You could go into a store and buy a quarter of a cucumber.
    Our weekends were fairly routine. We cleaned the house and went to town. The markets in East Grinstead held auctions of such things as cuts of meat, and it was fascinating to see people bidding for a leg of lamb. “I bid 15 shillings.” “Sixteen shillings.”