"It takes smarts to think for yourself- it only takes a semi-good memory to act like everyone else."

 Mickey is an Italian teenager who does not live a cloistered life. She  lives in the U.S. and spends summers in Italy. Her world is filled with activity and friends- many of them Scientologists, many of them not. Lets hear her viewpoints:

Sandy: How old are you?

Mickey: I'm 14, turning 15 in October

Sandy: How long have you been a Scientologist?

Mickey: I've been a Scientologist since I was about 4, but the good thing about it was that my mom was a Scientologist and my father was Catholic, so I was brought up on different religions. I respect all aspects of both, and of all religions. 

Sandy: How many languages do you speak fluently? How many could you follow a recipe in? 

Mickey: I speak three languages fluently, English, Italian, and Spanish. I enjoy cooking in German too! The recipes aren't that different between German and Italian, and its always nice to learn a new language. 

Sandy: Do you still want to be a chef? 

Mickey: yes, I do still want to be a chef! But I'm going to go to designer school as soon as I finish High School. Chef, and fashion designer don't sound like a bad idea to me...

Sandy: Tell me what life is like as a student at  a school that uses the study tech of L. Ron Hubbard.

Mickey: Its wayyyy awesome! Even though sometimes I wish more people could be there and have fun along side of me. Having gone to public school I have seen a difference. I'm actually learning instead of just memorizing things to copy them on paper the next day. The study tech isn't hard, and its really the only way to actually understand things and be able to use them later! There's no point in school if you don't remember anything when you need to know something.

Sandy: Mickey, I've come to find out that the average non-Scientologist parent expects that at some time their teenager will A) for sure try out drugs, and B) not tell them. Can you give your opinion on this topic?

Mickey: Here is my best answer to that. I've been offered drugs by people whom previously, I thought I could trust ( I do have a lot of friends who are not Scientologists, especially in Italy. Italy is amazing, but here I am in a much safer environment). My opinion is that teens don't tell their parents because they are ashamed or afraid of punishment- doing drugs is just asking for it. 

The pressure to be "cool" and "just like the other kids" in society these days is way hard on your integrity. Why be just "cool" when you can be awesome? Believe it or not, teens who do drugs really look up to people who don't, whether they show it or not. I find looking at what I really want in life is the solution. Everyone has some sort of dream (or at least they did before they started to do drugs) and the way to achieve it is to be true to yourself. I know I don't want to be "just like the other kids" because thats too easy. I like a challenge.  

Sandy: If someone in your school were to do drugs, what would be the reaction to them by the other kids?

Mickey: Well if someone were to do drugs in our school I think (almost know for a fact) that they would find themselves separated from the group and not very appreciated from their friends. Honestly, they would probably be looked down on for as long as they were doing drugs and were involved with serious out-ethics. 

Sandy: Can you tell me a win from your favorite Scientology course? 

Mickey: On my favorite course, I  had so many wins, I can't even write them all down. I felt so cause over life I couldn't understand how anyone couldn't be! I finally understood what control really was and I figured that I hadn't understood it my whole life. Maybe thats why I was so opposed to it!

Sandy: Are there any other wins you thought of that you'd like to share?

Mickey:Yes, without Scientology, I don't think that I would be telling you MY thoughts, as opposed to something that I heard someone else say a few days earlier.  I know that I don't need anyone to put words into my mouth to make people like me. Actually people like me for my own words. It takes smarts to think for yourself, it only takes a semi-good memory to act like everyone else. So here I am saying: thanks L.R.H. (L.Ron Hubbard)

Thank you Mickey for your candidness and for sharing your viewpoints and wins. 

Comments

[Grahame]

What a great interview. This is a smart girl who is going to go far in life.

Thanks for posting this and I hope you will be doing more of these interviews.