TW for whomever needs it: addiction and abuse
The Maxwell verdict was announced and the bets are on regarding her likely demise. Previously having read a couple of articles about her, I had some idea of her origins - she was born into affluence. However, I didn't know the back story of her late boss Jeffrey. He was pictured rubbing shoulders with the ultrarich, but he wasn't born the son of a tycoon. Thus, I wondered how he came to play with the big boys. Where did he get all that money and all those connections? I am the kind of person who wants to know how people get where they are, be it good or bad. No one lives in a vaccuum - events and circumstances can facilitate or thwart our plans and intentions.
I went down the rabbit hole of researching personal history to discover yet another "wunderkind" who skipped two grades in school. Jeffrey started high school at twelve and graduated at sixteen. Afterward, he attended college and university, but did not attain a degree. Despite this, he was able to land a teaching gig at a prestigious school. It was through that institution that he was able to get on at Bear Stearns. Networking 101 - happens all the time. What I did not anticipate was the particulars of his rise at Bear Stearns. Jeffrey went from being a junior employee to advising top tier clients like Edgar Bronfman - Seagram distillery.
Whoa! For the most folks, that would not have been a major detail, but for me, it was a giant trigger. Seagram had a history that included bootlegging during Prohibition. My foster mom was born in 1921, so I was steeped in the lore of the south from the Depression onward. She drank daily for decades, ultimately to her demise. Her alcoholism was fueled by only one beverage - Seagram's V. O. Canadian whiskey. She drank lots of it and nothing else would do
I watched her consumption increase during my childhood in the 70s. This period coincided with Jeffrey's association with Bronfman, so her preference of poison literally lined their pockets (yeah, she was just one person, but Seagram was the only beneficiary of her consumption, since she wouldn't drink anything else). Earlier, my bio mom had lost custody due to neglect and abuse. She was an addict and alcoholic. The two women met in a liquor store.
Circling back to Jeffrey, he continued his pursuit of profit and pleasure. He bought multiple properties, including the Palm Beach estate. I knew nothing about that geography. To me, the whole region was affluent. I had no idea that there were actually two municipalities - PB and West PB. West PB is the county seat and the residents are middle to low income. It is the opposite of PB. And that provided Jeffrey with a large pool of victims at the local high schools. The targeted girls came from dysfunctional households rife with addiction and abuse. They were extremely vulnerable. Jeffrey rubbed shoulders with the big boys, but he "employed" females who were at the bottom of the income and power scale. I was removed from my bio home because of similar circumstances as those poor girls.
Learning the back story of some of the girls was yet another trigger. As I stated, I had no clue of the geography and socio economics. Now I have been enlightened, but at a price. I didn't expect to have so much in common with the characters in this horrific drama.
The Maxwell verdict was announced and the bets are on regarding her likely demise. Previously having read a couple of articles about her, I had some idea of her origins - she was born into affluence. However, I didn't know the back story of her late boss Jeffrey. He was pictured rubbing shoulders with the ultrarich, but he wasn't born the son of a tycoon. Thus, I wondered how he came to play with the big boys. Where did he get all that money and all those connections? I am the kind of person who wants to know how people get where they are, be it good or bad. No one lives in a vaccuum - events and circumstances can facilitate or thwart our plans and intentions.
I went down the rabbit hole of researching personal history to discover yet another "wunderkind" who skipped two grades in school. Jeffrey started high school at twelve and graduated at sixteen. Afterward, he attended college and university, but did not attain a degree. Despite this, he was able to land a teaching gig at a prestigious school. It was through that institution that he was able to get on at Bear Stearns. Networking 101 - happens all the time. What I did not anticipate was the particulars of his rise at Bear Stearns. Jeffrey went from being a junior employee to advising top tier clients like Edgar Bronfman - Seagram distillery.
Whoa! For the most folks, that would not have been a major detail, but for me, it was a giant trigger. Seagram had a history that included bootlegging during Prohibition. My foster mom was born in 1921, so I was steeped in the lore of the south from the Depression onward. She drank daily for decades, ultimately to her demise. Her alcoholism was fueled by only one beverage - Seagram's V. O. Canadian whiskey. She drank lots of it and nothing else would do
I watched her consumption increase during my childhood in the 70s. This period coincided with Jeffrey's association with Bronfman, so her preference of poison literally lined their pockets (yeah, she was just one person, but Seagram was the only beneficiary of her consumption, since she wouldn't drink anything else). Earlier, my bio mom had lost custody due to neglect and abuse. She was an addict and alcoholic. The two women met in a liquor store.
Circling back to Jeffrey, he continued his pursuit of profit and pleasure. He bought multiple properties, including the Palm Beach estate. I knew nothing about that geography. To me, the whole region was affluent. I had no idea that there were actually two municipalities - PB and West PB. West PB is the county seat and the residents are middle to low income. It is the opposite of PB. And that provided Jeffrey with a large pool of victims at the local high schools. The targeted girls came from dysfunctional households rife with addiction and abuse. They were extremely vulnerable. Jeffrey rubbed shoulders with the big boys, but he "employed" females who were at the bottom of the income and power scale. I was removed from my bio home because of similar circumstances as those poor girls.
Learning the back story of some of the girls was yet another trigger. As I stated, I had no clue of the geography and socio economics. Now I have been enlightened, but at a price. I didn't expect to have so much in common with the characters in this horrific drama.
I’m sorry you were made to feel that way.