ExWayDaryl

John ("Igotout"), Thank you for your message and your blessing! The gun will stay where it is, and won't be used except to protect myself or for target practice. I promise! Also, if you are the same John Richeson I'm remembering, then I served as a WOW with your brother - Oceanside, Long Island, 1982-1983. Under different circumstances, it could have been a far better year. It's a long story... I hope he is doing well. Please give him my best regards. ExWayDaryl Lives in Franklin Park, Illinois with Alex, his cat "Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein

Many of these posts are hilarious, and many are heartbreaking. I've lived many of them. You might be in a cult if you believe, or have been taught, that being gay is "against God's plan" and you join up in order to rectify that. You might be in a cult, but you might have more than two active neurons if you realize, finally, that the rantings of some dancing, lunatic homophobe is just a box of crap, after your own research into Romans 1 leads you so close to suicide that you know what the business end of a .357 magnum revolver tastes like, because the "Word" can't be wrong, can it? The life experiences that you have had are all wrong, and therefore, there is something seriously defective with you. So you put down the gun, for whatever reason, and temporarily reconsider. You can always do that later. You are not in the cult any more if suicide is no longer considered to be a viable option. I'm still alive. I like it that way. And I'm still gay. ExWayDaryl Lives in Franklin Park, Illinois with Alex, his cat

From my side of the fence... At one wedding I attended, the minister (a TWI minister) stated, "When two people decide to marry, the only thing the minister can do is to bless the marriage." The intent, I suspect, was that the marriage commitment has already been made by the couple. Straight people get married 1: because they can; and 2: because of societal pressure to do so. When gay people decide they want to marry, or to committ to each other for life in any manner similar to "traditional" marriage, there are incredible hoops through which they must jump in order to land anywhere near the rights that are accorded, by birthright, to straight people. Further, the results typically are far from equal to what is accorded their straight counterparts. Hence, the opinion from the Masachussets Supreme Court which made yesterday the day it was. According the same rights to gay people in the institution of marriage will not mean the end of the human species. Nor will it destroy society as we know it. If anything, IMHO, society, at large, will be enhanced. In the history of the gay rights movement, May 17 will go down right along with the Stonewall riots in 1969. Gay people are here to stay. And now, so is gay marriage. I suggest we all get used to the concept. ExWayDaryl Franklin Park, Illinois ...who has no intention of marrying my cat.

I have to add this... He has a boyfriend. I didn't have a chance...

I met LCM's first cousin face to face. He shares the same middle & last name with Loy-Boy. That said, without his permission, I will not reveal his identity. But I thought it should be known that this very attractive, intelligent, well-educated man is gay, totally "out," and lives on the north side of Chicago. ExWayDaryl Lives in Franklin Park, Illinois with Alex, his cat. (Or is it that Daryl lives with Alex? I'm still not sure...)

Jeez, this is what I get for avoiding a topic for too long... Abigail, WOW!!!!!!!! Why weren't you on the Board of Trustees?!? Or at least the Chairperson of the Research Deparment??? Imbus, I will seek out that book you mentioned by JSS. It sounds interesting, even though I know not much more than the title. My unceremonious "exit" from TWI, along with my near suicide, is the result of the type of research that Abigail laid out in front of us. Many of these things were never taught us by VPW, LCM or any others in leadership positions. And that whole set of curcumstances taught me to "think for myself." I will never again allow someone else to dictate to me what I should believe. There is too much at stake. Like, life itself. Trefor stated, "I no longer believe that things are so simple in black and white." And so I have found out that nothing in life is so binary as the Bible claims it to be. The Bible contains nuggets of truth. No one can deny that. So does the Koran. And the book of Mormon. And the Kama Sutra. And... (Get the point?) No one person, or group, or nation has a monopoly on truth. That said, I will paraphrase: "Love God with all your mind, soul, heart, this is the first and greatest commandment, then do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Okay, who is excluded here? Left handed people? Dyslexic people? Red haired people? People who limp? Those who follow a belief system different than your own? Homosexuals? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see that statement as all-inclusive. ExWayDaryl Lives in Franklin Park, Illinois with his cat

Parsley, I'm so embarrassed!!! I missed this page!!! Happy birthday, and many, many more!!! May you be well, prosperous and at peace!!! ExWayDaryl Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -Albert Einstein

Donner!!! You are one of those "eternal people" I have had the very rare honor to meet in my life - I didn't realize you actually had a birthday!!! :-) So... Happy Birthday!!!!!! And many more, my good friend! ExWayDaryl Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein

I recently picked up the DVD set, "Alien Quadrilogy." If you're at all fond of this series, and have the $$$ to spare, this is worth it. It's around $80.00 at Best Buy. There are 9 disks with over 40 hours of viewing. This includes two versions of each of the four movies - the original theatrical release, and the "special edition" or "director's cut". My favorite has always been the second one, "Aliens". And the director's cut is not to be missed. It's 2 hours and 37 minutes long. This was the movie that Jim Cameron (the director) wanted to release, but this cut was just too long for theatrical release - the studio said no. The extras are far more comprehensive than I have ever seen. Extensive interviews with everyone, Jim Cameron, Sigourney Weaver, all the other actors, the SFX people, even the casting director. If you can see your way to get this, do it. It's worth it. ExWayDaryl Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein

My two favorite ST movies are "The Voyage Home" (IV) and "Nemesis" (TNG). The interaction between Spock & Kirk in TVH cracks me up! As well as the relationship between Kirk and the whale biologist. I like "Nemesis" because of the treatment of the characters as well as the special effects, which were totally AWESOME! Then, there's "B4" - his continued existence keeps the door open for more TNG movies. I have TVH on tape and Nemesis on DVD. The extras on Nemesis are mind blowing! ExWayDaryl Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois "The proud owner of the entire TNG series on DVD"

I just discovered this forum late last night when I was about to go to bed. I regret not coming across it sooner. That said, I'm sure that as this continues to develop, someone will tell ME to STFU. However, the Vietnam-era USAF SSGT that I am will say, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" and keep right on moving. Someone in a previous post stated that he/she had to go through a thorough process of what he or she believed, and has come to the conclusion that VPW & LCM were full of s*** when it came to the topic of homosexuality. I went through the same thing when I researched Romans chapter 1 (the part that details one's fall from the straight world to the gutter of gayness) and discovered that you couldn't force me, or my life's experience into that scenario with a 1 megaton tipped cruise missile set to detonate at rooftop level. It didn't work when I originally took PFAL, (or the intermediate class, the advanced class, went WOW), it doesn't work now. So I had to make some decisions myself - Is there absolute truth, i. e., the Bible, or is there not? And what is it that I believe? On both points, I don't know. I honestly don't know. I -DO- know that I did not choose to be gay. So don't even TRY to bring that up with me. You will not win. Some here keep insisting that there is a definitive link connecting homosexuality with pedophelia, and that however slim that connection is, all the laws of the universe should come down on everything even remotely connected with granting the most basic of equal, human rights for gays. (OK, perhaps I'm overstating that a bit, but you get my point, I trust.) One post insinuated that NAMBLA marches in Gay Pride parades. I'm hesitant to grace that remark with a reply, however, the truth must be told. I've been attending Gay Pride parades in Chicago since 1996. Haven't missed one since. They are HUGE affairs - last year, the attendance was estimated to be 400,000 - second only to the St. Patrick's Day parade. Never ONCE have I seen a NAMBLA contingent march by. The last time I read about such a group marching in a Gay Pride parade, they were booed, even attacked, and ultimately were forced to drop out. The opposite of this scenario happens when the PFLAG (Parents, Family, Friends of Lesbians and Gays) contingent comes by. You can tell when they are coming - it's a tidal wave of applause that precedes them. The issue of gay marriage cannot and should not be equated with someone who wants to marry his gold fish, or have sexual relations with his microwave oven. (Ouch!!!) Those arguments are just plain stupid. What if Trefor Heywood (as an example, I've never met the man) and I met someday, fell in love and decided we wanted to marry? To stay with each other for the rest of eternity, buy a house, put up a white picket fence, plant a garden, all that... What right does anyone have to tell us we cannot marry? I don't see a problem. Allowing gay marriage will not harm the "traditional" institution of marriage in any discernible way. I have a lot more to say, but for now, that's my two cents. Trefor, there's my tuppence -;)--> ExWayDaryl Lives in Franklin Park Illinois with his cat

DMiller, The Borg is a race (so to speak) of a combination of cybernetinc & organic creatures who seek to overtake and conquer what they consider to be lesser species. They have no mercy, no compassion, their only desire is the conquest of other species, typically as a group - they are not usually interested in individuals, only groups. For more information, watch the "Star Trek - The Next Generation" series. Or logon to startrek.com. Daryl Lamkey aka ExWayDaryl Franklin Park, Illinois

TWI, VPW, LCM, BOT mentioned in Revelation? THEY WISH!!!! Just my humble opinion. ExWayDaryl My cat regards me as warm-blooded furniture. I don't mind.

That two part episode, I forgot to mention, included special guest star Professor Stephen Hawking, who now occupies the same chair at Cambridge Univeristy once held by Sir Isaac Newton, the same one who gave us all the details on planetary mechanics. His (Newton's) equations guided the 2 spacecrafts, Voyagers I & II, to their destinations, COASTING through space for about a decade. And his equations were largeley un-modified. Not bad for 400-year-old equations, I think. ExWyDaryl

OK, someone had to start this one... (if it hasn't been started already...) How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb? They don't. It's a hardware issue. How many hardware engineers does it take to change a light bulb? They don't. It's a software issue. How does Bill Gates change a light bulb? He doesn't. With the next release of Windows, he makes darkness the industry standard, then upgrades the users. ExWayDaryl, self-confessed computer geek, who supports PC, application & network issues for a living.

Then there was the little boy who couldn't go to church on Palm Sunday because he was sick. His parents came home with palm fronds, and the boy asked, "What are those?" They explained that the people laid down palm fronds when Jesus came into town. The boy said, "Wouldn't you know it! The one day I can't make it, and HE shows up!!!?

Actually, the way you get repossessed is to not pay the exorcist. Remember the episode, "I, Borg"? It was about one captured Borg who, separated from the collective, discovered his own personality, his own uniqueness, and that he didn't have to be part of the collective in order to function. He took that back to the collective and what followed wreaked havoc. (Or is that "wrought?") There was a later two part episode on that. I, for one, am still working on getting these implants out of my brain. ExWayDaryl

This is perhaps a little off-topic, but reading about all the TWI books in Ebay brought this to mind: Does anyone know if TWI still holds the rights to E. W. Bullinger's Companion Bible? A number of years ago, I recall reading somewhere that they had acquired the rights. ExWayDaryl

Dougie said: "Hey there are worse things like being a moronic innie and rather be an addicted internet possesssed gs person than a BORG controlled innie any day !" I'll drink to that!!! Your comment on the BORG - thank you! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! From one who has all 7 seasons of ST-TNG on DVD... (I suppose that makes me possessed too!) I'd add my comments about possession, (who said I was, when, where, etc.,) but I'm not sure Pawtucket's servers have the necessary hard drive space. I mean, we'd be talking terabytes :-) ExWayDaryl

Kay, Thank you for your story. Living in fear is not what God meant. I am so very gratified that you got out of that situation!!! I've seen the kind of abuse of women that is possible, and even encouraged in a TWI-like household, and it totally sucks. And this is from a guy's perspective. Wishing you all the best!!! Daryl J. Lamkey (aka ExWaDaryl) Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois

Oakspear, Thank you for your well-reasoned, compassionate and honest post, and thank you for starting this topic. Thank you also for your reply to my topic. We sat at the same table at Steve & Cindy’s wedding, and I recall you as an intelligent man, a Gentleman, in the truest definition of the term, who was a lot of fun to be with. I know exactly what you mean when you said you felt “naked” when you clicked on the “post” button. In preparing my story for posting, I consulted with Steve & Cindy to try to judge what the response might be. I agonized over it for a fair amount of time, because, after reading “The Cult that Snapped,” I posted essentially the same “coming out” story on WayDale, and caught a fair amount of hell over it. So I just wasn’t sure how to, when, using what words, or even if. Steve & Cindy suggested that I proceed. They noted that any negative responses would most likely be addressed by others – intervention on my part would probably be unnecessary. And they were so right!!! Grease Spot Caf?s everything that WayDale should have been, and GSC did it many generations better. And meeting you and all the others at the wedding, for me, was a little glimpse of what the Gathering ought to be. Like you, I bared my soul in that posting. There were negative comments from some, but hey, they are entitled to their opinions. I have no argument with that. What I appreciated most was the love, the compassion, the understanding, and the downright human honesty that made up the vast majority of the replies. Everyone, (well, mostly,) made me feel right at home. As Shellon said, you are “The Voice of Reason”. Daryl J. Lamkey (aka ExWayDaryl) Lives with his cat in Franklin Park, Illinois

Someone told me I was gullible. And I believed him. I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. I put instant coffee in a microwave, and almost went backwards in time. The speed of time is one second per second. What is another word for "synonym"? I went to San Francisco, and found someone's heart. If swimming is so good for you, how do you explain whales? Protons have mass? I didn't know they were Catholic! What if there were no hypothetical questions?

And so it was. Suz, you said it all! Steve & me went out on the "balcony" and had cigars, graciously provided by Pawtucket. Then, let's not forget Cindy, Hawk & Son, the most lovely Donner, and Parsley and Diane and Rottie and whoever else managed to stumble in... Oak, I had the impression you weren't REALLY pro-Bush. (But no politics here...) I still think that Raf & Jenna make a totally cute couple!!! Do I hear any seconds? ExWayDaryl, and his furry feline co-inhabitant Alex Franklin Park, Illinois

I’m reading these in reverse order, much like an Outlook email message that has gone through numerous generations. Here goes… Imbus, Thank you for your offer! If I had a boyfriend, I would seriously consider taking you up on your offer. I’d bring along freshly baked Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies. And a nice bottle of Chianti or Merlot. Hope (once again), When we were WOWs, you were one of the very few people with whom I could feel comfortable. But with the WOW family I was in, you can understand why I chose not to “come out” then. For one thing, I was still in full-tilt-boogie denial. And if you recall, life was rather chaotic at my place. (I will not get into character assassination of my WOW brothers, as much as it may be deserved – much time has passed, and there have been some tragedies there – people change, they grow, they learn & mature. Hopefully that is the case with them. I hope it is with me.) I valued our friendship then, as well as after the WOW field. Resurrecting that friendship now would be a good thing if you are not adverse to that. Shelly (aka JessieJoe), You wrote, “Keep your courage, guard your heart, and do no harm.” I try to live up to that. Perhaps my sister would be proud of me, but not nearly as proud as I am of her – a single mom raising 4 children. She was the definition of “courageous.” Thank you for your kind words. Dot Matrix, Congratulations on cresting the 5k mark! I am glad I left TWI, but even more, I’m thankful to have survived this long to be thankful. There are many good and honorable people who have not. Year2027 (aka Roy), Your shortcomings are not necessarily wrong – they are signs of your humanity. You wrote, “The only person that can help me with my sins is me and the only person who can heal my heart is God.” Live by those words and give yourself a break. We didn’t get salvation because we deserved it, we got salvation because we needed it. MJ412, Thank you! What is right for you is not necessarily right for someone else, and that’s my whole point. When the Gathering happens, that’s when all the cards will be turned up, no more bets, no more raises. I agree with you, we are all in the same boat. Shellon, I apologize for my absence. I was back last night! Jezusfreaky (Colleen), Show me to that back booth! And can the waitress get me a toasted bagel with a hot cup of coffee please? Oenophile, Thank you very much for your unconditional friendship! I will address Dartanian’s post later on. And, as the GSCafe WineKeeper, I have a winery you might want to add to your list – I was at the Niebaum-Coppola winery last summer. Exceptional variety of wines, and as close as you can get to organic! Visit there when you get the opportunity. MarkedAndAvoided, I understand your sentiments. However, studies (a LOT of them) indicate that humans are not the only species in which homosexuality exists. It is not prevalent, but, like red hair or left-handedness, it is present. I did not choose to be gay. Please understand that. Hey Rascal, I think I understand where you’re coming from. I witnessed a lot of situations within TWI where women were treated as second-class citizens, as something not much better than slaves, but at the time, there was not a whole lot I could do about it. The consensus, by a long shot, was against me. Congratulations on being YOU!!! May you continue to grow and thrive!!! Watered Garden, Thank you very much! Cancer does suck, BIG time. And I don’t believe it’s a spirit at all. Rather, it’s one result of how we civilized humans abuse our metabolisms. Over time, that catches up with you. (Daryl wrote, as he took another drag from his cigarette…) Don’tFenceMeIn, It was not easy to write the original post. It was not easy to “come out” when I did. It’s still not easy. And it’s not easy knowing I can’t call my sister and talk to her about it. “Coming out” is not an event. It is a process. And for some, it can last a lifetime. Thank you for your wishes! Dovey, No, I’m not an ET (although some of my co-workers might disagree – LOL!) I’m sorry about the loss of your brother! My only hope is that you are dealing with it in a way that would make him proud of you. And of that I have little doubt. Thank you for your reply!!! 2strange, Thank you for your reply. I have some understanding about miscarriages, and I know just a little of the pain you have gone through. I wish I could give you a hug for the same reason! I will look up the book you recommended. (I tend to haunt bookstores anyway!) I might have met Dennis Ryan, but to be honest, it doesn’t ring a bell. During the production of “God’s Royal Household,” I did get to work with a girl who was a Radio City Rockette. She was as much of a sweetheart as she was beautiful! (FYI to all, you don’t have to be straight to know what a pretty lady looks like – knowing what “pretty” is, is part of the “gay resume!) Karmicdebt, You don’t see how Romans pertains to me. Thank you. Neither do I. Here’s a nutshell: To begin with, the Romans story deals with someone who is an adult, someone who is capable & qualified to make his/her own life decisions. Further, the individual described is one who already has a working, experiential (“gnosko”) knowledge of God, something that happens over a respectable period of time. Then, after all this, this person decides, “I don’t want to worship this deity any more, I want to go after idols.” Then, God “allows” the spirit of homosexuality to “overtake” this adult individual who has already known God on a personal level. Then that person “becomes” a homosexual. I’ve known that I was gay long before I had a pubic hair I could call my own, long before being able or legally competent, in a Biblical sense, to call myself an adult, decades before I knew anything conclusive or comprehensive about God. So how did this happen? I don’t know. It just did. You don’t choose your sexual orientation. It chooses you. Dartanian3m, Thank you for your sentiments concerning my sister. I appreciate that very much. Since “coming out,” I would like to think that I’ve grown up somewhat. With people, that happens. I no longer “blame” God for my sexual orientation. I just don’t buy what the Bible says about it, specifically in Romans. (See my response to Karnicdebt, above.) Had I been given the choice of my sexual orientation, in the past, there is no question that I would have chosen to be straight, no debate there. However, people change, as do their opinions. I am gay either as a part of the design God originally laid out, or I am gay because of some genetic “thing” that happened while I was sill in Ellen Lamkey’s womb, or, it was the result of galactic chance. I don’t have the answer. I DO know conclusively that I did NOT choose it. So who’s fault is it? Not mine. So please don’t tell me I chose to be gay. Whoever made that decision did not include me in the debate. Sudo, “A wise man learns from his mistakes.” I’d like to think I have learned that much! Thank you!!! NotinKansasanymore, Thank you very much for your sentiments! I’m alone, but I don’t confuse that with lonely. If & when I find “Mr. Right,” I will be the first one to SHOUT it from the rooftops!!! Excathedra, Your message humbles me! Thank you! I am not currently in contact with any of her children. For one thing, I’m not sure if they would accept me concerning this “revelation.” That aside, I wish them all well. My parents are deceased. My dad died one year and one month after my mom died, and I found out about my dad while I was on the WOW field, on my birthday. It was a bit of a shock, considering where I was and what I was trying to accomplish. Cknapp3 (aka Chuck), Thanks for your gutsy reply! I could sit down and have a beer with you! (As with most everyone at the Grease Spot Caf? And hey, I don’t need no steenkin’ crown either! I don’t usually wear hats anyway!!! Rocky! Fellow USAF!!! Vietnam era!!! Thank you for your post! I do have friends & support where I live & work, thank you! My brothers know about me, and all they are concerned about is my safety! I tell them that I “play safe” when I play! I am very sorry about your brother – with my sister, I sometimes feel as though I have not really grieved adequately – at the cemetery, I didn’t cry – I was just completely ....ed. Someone this wise, brilliant, compassionate, wonderful, beautiful and gifted, being buried under soil. Like I said, I was ....ed. Tom Strange, I’m glad to meet you too! Please pass me a snow cone. Strawberry or blackberry flavored, if you don’t mind! TheInvisibleDan, I am gratified that you enjoyed reading my story. Thank you! Trefor Heywood, Thank you! I’m relieved that someone else has come to the same conclusions as I have! Be well, safe & prosperous! TheHighWay, May your journey here be as prosperous and wonderful as well! BackForty, Thank you for your sentiments about my sister! And I too am glad we are not under that dark, deep, oppressive veil!!! Radar, Thank you for your response! I will see you at Cindy & Steve’s wedding!!! And there I will give you a big hug!!! Bowtwi, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee, even if it’s at Starbucks!!! (Personally, I prefer Peet’s Arabian Mocha Java, it is the BEST!!!) Chinson, My hat is off to you & Steve. And please include a proper gentleman’s bow. You two have welcomed me into your home knowing not much more about me than my name. (OK, Steve knew me back in the 80’s, but really only peripherally.) I’ve been in your home, played basketball with your youngest son, attempted to assist one of your daughters with her homework, sat at your table and broken bread with you. And you have graciously invited me to be the photographer of your blessed wedding. I am the most of all honored. For those of you who have not met Cindy & Steve, they are among the most honest, decent, down to earth, sweetest people I have ever met. (And I wish to include Jessica, Kat, Joshua, Zachary, Star (the cat,) the other cats (who’s names I forget, please forgive me,) and the friends I have met at their dinner table. I can only hope that my cameras will do them justice this Saturday. Signing off for now – (but I suspect I will be back!) Daryl J. Lamkey Franklin Park Illinois

OK, so what do you call 2,000 mockingbirds? 2 Kilomockingbirds. Say it out loud.. What is the shortest distance between two jokes? A straight line. Think about it... 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone: 1 Rod Serling The weight a televangelist carries with God: 1 billigram 453.6 graham crackers: 1 pound cake Daryl - Franklin Park, Illinois