waysider

Here's a good reason not to hitchhike-----------IT'S ILLEGAL! It has been for as long as I can remember( at least where I grew up in Ohio.) Wierwille and his cronies were from Ohio. Surely it must have come to their attention at some point that they were asking people to do something illegal. I hitched extensively as a kid.(Even though it was illegal.) Probably no less than 10 or 15 times a week. I knew people who got robbed and beat up. That didn't stop me. I was in a car that picked me up that was in an accident. That didn't stop me. I knew someone who got a ride from Cleveland to L.A. That encouraged me. Did I continue to hitch because I believed God would cover for me? Heck no, this was pre-TWI. I continued because I was a foolish kid who thought he was invincible. One night, after I started going to twig, I had a potentially life ending experience as I hitched. I managed to come out of it OK and it prompted me to SIT out loud, for the very first time, right there on a public street, at the top of my voice to give praise to GOD for my deliverance. Is the glass half full or half empty? I could have been killed ---But!---- I spoke in tongues for the first time. There's a reason it's against the law. It doesn't take a Biblical Scholar to figure out what that reason is.

Spiritual Hitchhiking Or Carjacking? thread----July 19, 2006 This is my first reference.(There are others also) O.K. I hope I don't derail but sometimes we old folks get lost in the moment. Back in about '71 or '72 I got witnessed to by some kids who seemed pretty excited about twig fellowship. I went to a couple of fellowships and was really blown away by SIT.(o.k. ,one of the young ladies caught my eye but that's another story). After 2 or 3 twig meetings I decided to try this SIT stuff myself. Nobody told me you had to have a class so I just went ahead and did it. Next day I tell the TL about it. HE gives me a "lift list" and a WAY MAG. This sounds remotely like my vasectomy experience but again I digress.First up, Joe B. Leever needs a car. I envision him driving a shiny new Caddy and SIT. Wow, this is easy! Next, I envision this "DR." from the WAY RAG as he stands behind a podium about to expound,but just then he grins from ear to ear, flips me the bird and mouths those two little words we all know too well.( I kid you not this really happened). My TL says it's probably just un-renewed mind and to strive to block it out. In retrospect, I wonder if that middle finger wasn't really his thumb and those words really "Goin' my WAY?"

There are a lot of really terrific people at GSC who are of the opinion that VPW had good intentions initially but became corrupt. I respect that. They may be right. Personally, though, I think VP was running a scam from the very beginning. That's my opinion. I could be wrong. There were lots of warning signs along the way that I only see clearly as I now look at it all in retrospect. One of those signs was an event during which I believe God let me know in no uncertain terms that something was very wrong with "the good doctor" 's modus operandi. It was no "small, still voice". It was graphic and startling. I didn't know what to make of it at the time. It's taken me over 35 years to start to understand it. I have posted on it before. Well, that's my opinion& you know what they say about opinions------------ "Opinions are like butt cracks----everybody has one."

I never intended to dispute anyone's positive experience or refute the fact that people did, in fact, come away with some valuable lessons learned. If I came across that way, I apologize. Waysider.

You are correct. Jimmy Jones did the original. You probably have heard it but didn't know he was the artist. Even though it was a big hit for him, it was a MONSTER hit forJT. Aaaaand!------------Yer up!

Jonny I see your point about bad things happening .----------I really do. And, I agree with a good deal of it. But, the point is, that after some of these bad things happened, upper leadership should have reevaluated whether the benefits outweighed the risks. Even if you take the ethical, emotional, spiritual aspect out of the formula, it doesn't make good business sense to continue on in the fashion which they did when they knew the potential for disaster. They acted irresponsibly(IMO) by continuing to march forward when it was demonstrated to them that this was not a wise course of action. They(upper TWI management) turned a blind eye to how continuation of this program could have seriously adverse effects for some participants, even though there were obviously some who reaped benefits. It was another example of the "one size fits all" approach that TWI liked to take. As a leader, you need to find people's strong suits and give them challenges that will help them more fully develop them. For some, that may be physical challenge. For others, that may be a challenge to grow artistically. Point is--------One shoe doesn't fit everybody. Maybe there was a moral lesson in Cinderella, after all.

Porgy Tirebiter-----------He's a student like you.

Well, of course, there was Rachel, who, although she did not die at LEAD, died due to the repercussions of the LEAD accident.

I whisper sweet things, You tell all your friends. They'll come runnin' to me.

Me too,Excie--------Me too.

Otis Rush----1966He made it look so easy.

I learned you can re-use disposable coffee cups. ( If you can find a way to get the lipstick stains off 'em) I mean--------REALLY!-------------Who'da ever thunk it?

Haven't we all? OK, that was a rhetorical question.

Speaking of volunteers, My in-laws tell a tale of a neighbor of theirs back in the 1950s who became displeased with his front lawn. He tilled it under and amended it with top soil that he obtained at a bargain price. According to their recollection, in no time at all he had a beautiful, thick front lawn-----------of nothing besides cherry tomatoes! Now, I like cherry tomatoes---------------------HOWEVER-----------------!

The King Family Show( with Alvino Rey and his"talking" guitar)

"With the rise of the internet, the hate component in this country is off the chart." ---------Bill O'Reilly------------- What is a "hate component"? Is there really a chart to measure it? If so, what exactly are the parameters of said chart? Are there hard statistics to show its correlation to the "rise of the internet". Food for thought.

I left the organization in about 1991. It wasn't dramatic. I drifted away due to family obligations. By that time I was only involved at the twig level and completely in the dark about a lot of what was really going on. Still, I felt guilty that I had forsaken the household. I never felt like I had forsaken God or that He had forsaken me. I just felt like I had let him down by not remaining committed. I continued to hold forth what I thought at the time was The Word. I never told people about twigs and branches and whatnot. Wouldn't know where to even send them if they would have wanted to go. I found this place while I was searching to replace my PFAL book which someone had failed to return. I went through half a dozen copies that I used to lend out a lot.(won't do that again!) So, I guess what I'm saying is that the biggest guilt trip I was on was probably self imposed, at least to some degree. Don't know if that makes sense to any of you but it does to me.

Hi, ChristAlone. Welcome aboard! I really enjoyed your posts and insight. That "third party perspective" can be very enlightening at times. I was never a part of CES either so I don't come here often. Your comments,though, seem to address issues that go beyond the parameters of a specific group or organization. Has anyone offered you a free cup of "joe" yet? I would do that myself but they don't trust me to operate the latte machine.(and rightfully so!)

Hooner Just wondering if you've read the thread regarding the LEAD accident. It's a long one but definitely an eye opener.

Here's an easy one. I say that because it was a big hit not once but twice. The original would be cool but the cover is probably better known. Here is the main thing that I want to say I'm busy 24 hrs. a day. I fix broken hearts. I know I truly can.

Listen here, Mister------You don't own me! Oh, sorry. That's the name of the tune.----I think. You Don't Own Me------ by Leslie Gore.

I never experienced the rope scenario. We all lived so close to start with, if you had given us rope we probably would have strangled one another. We never had a "booty wipe" instructional session. That may have been because we (each "house") had to supply our own. If I remember correctly, here's how finances broke down: 1. Monthly FL fund -------covered rent and utilities-----(no one had phones) 2.Manna fund -----covered breakfast and supper------ I think it was about 6 or 7 dollars a week.(30+ years ago) You had to eat breakfast together as a house.(familia, apple-ishious, oat groats, wheat berries, mush and all sorts of other tasty food.I was always the breakfast prep person for the house.) For supper, we all met at limb hq and ate together. There were 8 tables. Each one represented your particular house. Everyone ate the same thing. One person from each house had to have a secular job that allowed them time enough to get home, ready the meal for the house and transport it to limb hq. Each house set up and cleared their own table. If you did not pay your Manna fee, you had to sit quietly and watch everyone else eat but you were not allowed to eat.(or accept a free meal.) You could only get around this if someone secretly slipped you the money to make your payment.( or so I was told. ) 3. House fund -----this was for TP, paper towels, dish soap, etc.----- I think it was about 5 bucks a week but went up and down as the house leader determined the weekly needs of your particular household. Our houses were not co-ed per se. We had single men homes, single women homes, married couple homes and family homes. They were duplex townhomes in the same apt. complex. The first home I was in was 4 single men and a married couple who were the house leaders. Plenty of togetherness but no ropes.

You got it T.S. Geeze!--- I thought that one would go as soon as I hit the submit key. Ya just nevah know. I'm gonna have to check out that link you mentioned. Funny thing is, I was never much of a Beatles fan back in the day but as I listen to them now, something seems to click for me. (maybe it's the bongos) :-) Rock On!

I had a Fellowlaborer wedding. It was presided over by the limb leader and held at Limb HQ. There were several others as well that year after graduation and each one was conducted separately. Our families were both present. It was really a pretty nice event. FLO did all the set up and physical work. No surprise there,huh? It didn't last, but that was a long time ago and lots of water has gone under the bridge since then. The Limb Leader did not have the legal certification to perform weddings at that time. We actually got legally married at a Justice Of The Peace the day before. When I got remarried, we had a ceremony that was presided over by our twig leader. He, too, was not certified and so we were legally married beforehand by a J.O.P., also. It was a much smaller, less formal event but still pretty nice. And so I pose this question; When people inquire about how many times I've been married, do I say twice or four times?