fooledagainII

A couple of nosey question: Anyone know if the way credit union still exist? I think in the 90s you had to be one staff or AC grad to have an account is this true? I remember thinking I didn't want an account with them because of my spending habits. Did anyone ever have any bad experience with it? What happen to your account when you left?

Support. That's been my problem ever since I left, my support system has alway been almost non-existence since leaving TWI. My family didn't like me being part of the way, and mostly disown me for getting evolve back in the 80s. The few people I still keep in contact with that was "in", don't really want to talk about those days and the impact it had personally. Does anyone know of any support system out their that might help?

Thanks Don'tWorryBeHappy, That gave me so much insight.

I remember once meeting a girl downtown and after talking with her deciding to meet the next day at the local mall. Everything was fine, we were getting alone well. She mentioned that she broke up with last boyfriend because he was cheating on her and this was a big, big issue with her. She didn't like "players". It was about ten minutes while walking through the mall when I ran into a female believer. As the custom was back then, she greeted me with a friendly way hug. No big deal, but as when continue to walk through the mall, I ran into several female believers at several different times all greeting me with hugs. At one point, this nice girl for downtown said "Look, I'm leaving now... don't bother calling me again!"

I remember going to my first Men's advance in the mid 80s and not finding out until on the road that... four to a room meant two to a bed. Well the closer we got to the advance the more I was freaking out (it didn't help that they jokingly would tell me how people sometime forget it's not their wife next to them). When we got to hotel, they were right... there were only two beds. Fortunately, there was a drop down bed bolted to side of the wall (why... I don't know). But I borrowed some tools and got that bed down as soon as my roommates left.

JavaJave, I left in the late 80's, then came back in the early 90s and finally left for good in the mid 90s. I still struggle with depression over it. Before TWI, I was very introverted and going full steam with their program, classes and leadership advices... I really change my lifestyle. I had to be 'out there' to 'move the word'. Crowds alway bothered me (I alway did better in small settings) so the Rock was never fun for me. All my old friends were replace by local believers (most were really nice people), leadership (most were bullies and tyrants... but not all some were really cool too). And the biggest thing was my free time was spent with believers or on the ministry activities. When I left, I left all my friends, my lifestyle (always having something to do) and my trusting nature. Now I have a very small circle of friends. Gone are the days when I come over that people greet me with hugs. Or the feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself. I don't know what others did (therapy did not work for me), but I'm still searching for answers. And I'm still hurting.

I see you point... however dressing like an elf, doesn't seem to be part of the circle of life.

Setting: Mid 80s... leaving an area meeting, riding as a passenger in my BC's car. He's telling me something about how big his believing was and I was (insert your own reproof here) blah, blah, blah... suddenly he rolls down his window, takes off his glasses and throws them out the window. As I must of had that wtf look on my face because he told me how he was believing his eyes to be healed and that meant action. We get maybe a half a mile down the road when he turns the car around and ask me to get out help him look for his glasses.

I remember I was out witnessing once with someone from my twig and we came across a limping dog. So we decided to call the dog over to us and pray for him. We closed our eyes and my brother in Christ gave this long prayer for this dog. He prayed for his legs, his happiness and everything else under the sun for this dog. When we opened our eyes this dog was nowhere to be found.

It was changed to "defeating the adversary" taught by LCM.

I know that VPW and LCM did the majority of taped classes. But who other than Ea*l Bur**n - intermediate class did any taped classes? Didn't W*lt*r C. do one?

A buddy of mine in the 80s had "WOW Vet" & PFAL tattooed to his arm. I can only wonder what they could do about that.

I wonder if you didn't adhere to the "suggestion" (bumper stickers aren't the easiest to off) if there was some kind of negative backlash for it.

Man, I still can't believe I was telling interviewers "...I can only work this hours and this days..." and still end up with a job. But looking back, I hated most them. And would tell no one outside the ministry what I did for a living. Some people loved their jobs and I know a few WOWs that kept theirs after their WOW year. Not me, my last day would be two days before leaving the area for good. The worst part about the jobs was there would eventually be scheduling conflicts between hours/days you could work (which you told them upfront about) and their I don't care we need staff attitude. Here I would be with a BA degree, working at some entry level job (that I didn't really care for) for low pay and now risk being fired (... and if fired probably reproved... have go find another job or get sent home). The job I was most ashame of was a costume greeter for a skating rink. They had three greeters and three different costumes, when I first took the job, I was dressed like a cow (which didn't bother me as much because no one could see my face). "Mooving Marvin". But then I was changed to Charley the elf, complete with transparent wings and a wand... Fighting with managers to keep this job should have been against the law. Thankfully, the powers that be (from what leadership level I never did know) told my leadership that I needed to find something else because of the "elf" thing. They suggested I try to get a reference letter before I leave. Yeah, I sure future employers would take this letter seriously.

Here something I alway wanted to know (just be nosey), how did the ordination of clergy thing work in TWI? Did they ask to be clergy or did someone come up to them with the ideal? I think I heard something about "...having to demonstrate a gift ministry.." (since I know TWI was famous for requirements for this or that) what requirements did they have to meet? Was there a test and if you failed did someone snuff out their glow stick and says the tribe have spoken?

You don't understand, the three kittens were accused of being "copped out corp". They had to be marked and avoided.

Is seems to me Adam could say anything and if Eve tried to correct him, all he would have says was "...Before your time." Being full of insecurities that I am, I like to think Adam embellished his stories for dramatic effect. Adam: Kids, lions are nothing compared to the seven foot, three inched fanged-two headed beast your Dad here use to teach tricks to back in Eden. Eve: There was no such thing. Adam: Before your time, honey. I use to call him "Woofie".

At lest that better than "All roads leads to the rock" bumper sticker that someone stuck on my RV. Never quite got that one.

I often heard that VPW and his brother would argue publicly. What was these arguments about? Did people that were around feel uncomfortable? Did anyone dare to get involve? Side note: As many of you were (especially corp), I was reproofed lot times both privately but mostly publicly. I wonder do anyone remember any of the BOD/or Top Leadership (past and present) being reproved publicly?

Soon after I took the foundational class, I begin getting pressure to get my "home studies" done. The more classes I took (i.e.: intermediate class, W&U, CF&S, etc..), the more pressure was to read assigned books and "...get your home studies done...". Being a young guy, I admit, reading all those books and doing home studies was unappealing to me but I set aside some time each night and began studying. Anyway, I was almost finished when one the WOW vets I'd made friends with called me one night wanting to hang out. I told I couldn't go because I doing my home studies. Well, the jest of his reply was I crazy for studying when the answer are on the back. For whatever reason I continued to study and answer the questions. When I finished, I felt proud I didn't cheat and handed them to my TC to review and sign. My TC looked at them for about a minute (only making sure questions were answered but not reading the answers to see they were right) and then signed the form I needed to send in. Suddenly I felt as foolish as the WOW vet had replied. What was the point of the whole answer, get signed and send in your home studies thing? Do they still do this as a requirement for AC?

I still have mine along with my PFAL schedule; assortment of way mugs; etc... Ok, I'm pack rat.

I love God and His Word and I did my best to serve him... however when it came to TWI's rules, some I bent and others I out right broke. Out in the field I could handle the two drink maximum because I didn't like to drink but others in my WOW family... let's just say a half of one should have been the limited. The nightlife to a young man with boundaries, not good combination for this guy. Since my WOW brother would be in no condition to leave and there were females at the table... well home by midnight just wasn't going to happen. I remember buying some firecrackers to light on forth of July (why I hid them... to this day I don't know... maybe I thought I get in trouble). Lying to get out of major reproof... many of times... "What this isn't wheat bread? Somebody must of switched it to white." 24 hours of prayer... well during my assigned hour of prayer (which alway seem to be after 8pm) my mind would drift and before you know it... I'm miles away in day dream land. Cleaning already clean places that would be used for area meeting... I did my best to get out of those. That goes for hotel rooms where we stayed for functions like WIB ("...keep things better than when you were there..." or something to affect H.A. would tell us). The wearing of nametags... I remember being stopped from going in to mess hall at the AC for night having a nametag on. At some time in the 90s, we told that anyone living within 250 miles of HQ (I think 250 miles... I lived near Columbus, so I knew this included me), had to go SNS. I think I went twice. And funny thing was, I was going all the time until they made that rule. No communication with dropped and/or 'copped out' corp... not only did talk with some them, I even had... (gulp)... forbidden music tapes. Hey, like One by One... Like an eagle.

Am I remembering correctly, in the mid 80s (I think 1986) LCM was warning us about having Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "...in HQ backyard...!"? As I recalled we even had a 24 hours of prayer about it (they were planning or just beginning to build the Hall of Fame at that time). What was suppose to be the big problem with it?

Ok, I get the wearing the dove pin when going to SNS. I even kind of thought it was a little cool (please forgive me). Although, I couldn't believe that it was such a big thing on which way it pointed. I kind of understood wearing the WOW pin... after all you did serve out on the field and you went through a lot (I rarely wore mine though). However, what was the name badge wearing all about at SNS? I'll admit it I wore mine too but other than letting people know how far you gone in the ministry, what was the point. I mean, I don't recall anyone I never met before, look at my badge and then refer to me by name. As I remember it (and I could be wrong), after service people pretty much looked up friends or people they haven't seen for awhile. I remember thinking, that's a brown one... must be UL, or that one's F10... wonder if they know 'whoever' from F12? And just how many type of badges were there?

It's in a box somewhere with my WOW jacket, dove pin, AC badge and "See you at the Rock" bumper sticker.