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I like to think I wouldn't have gotten involved, either. Truth is, though, it was 50 years ago. I'm not the same person now that I was then. Don't beat yourself up over decisions you made so long ago.

This post is golden, Waysider !!!!!!! “I'm not the same person now that I was then.” Wow! There’s something to that – and I don’t think about that as often as I should…A while back I reconnected with an old friend (by phone and email – since we live several states apart now) someone who was a good friend of mine from high school. We went on to separate colleges but still hung out together. It was about two and a half years into college that I got involved with TWI – and when I started witnessing to…and inadvertently scaring off…and sometimes even writing off my non-way friends. Long story short – we did a lot of reminiscing and he got me caught up on our old circle of friends that he still stays in touch with – and of course we filled each other in on our career paths and what our kids are doing now. In one sense it was like he and I were talking about two other funny, crazy, adventurous teenagers we both knew a long time ago. One of the things I realized was that we are not static beings. We constantly go through experiences in life…we fail…succeed…adapt…explore…go through changes…we grow. Your statement intrigued me so much I did an internet search by asking “does your authentic self ever change?” and found a 2019 Psychology Today article that touched on that (actually the whole article is interesting – you’ll find the link after this excerpt): “Recognize that developing authenticity takes time. Examining our true self is a process—perhaps a life-long process—because we are ever-evolving human beings. It takes quite a while to winnow out beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve you and replace them with more authentic actions. But with some effort, you'll soon find more genuine alignment with your true self.” from Psychology Today – 20 ways to be a more authentic person == == == Your other bit of advice is also pure gold: “Don't beat yourself up over decisions you made so long ago.” A professional counselor once said basically the same thing to me…so my only question is how much do you charge?

T-Bone, yes! I agree with you, and Rocky. Future generations, need to know about cults, like TWI, so they don't get trapped in them. I wish I had known years ago, that the TWI was a cult. If I had known, I would never have gotten involved with it.

The museum idea came to me because of events last year around the country regarding removal of confederate monuments, which became a controversial issue. During a zoom meetup with historians facilitated by the Arizona Historical Society, some of them opposed removal. Others recommended the artifacts be preserved in museums dedicated to putting them in historical context so people now and in the future would better understand the changing times in our country. I'm all for preserving them, despite twi's practice of burning books and other objects they consider dangerous. Putting twi (and other cult) symbols and artifacts in perspective for young people now and for future generations appeals to me. Perhaps Penworks has thought of this before, considering her involvement with the International Cultic Studies Association.