Georgio Jessio

I just had an internet conversation with some Way teens. First they deny every claim I make. Then when I prove them wrong I am told to look at the big picture not the "one" scandal that happened 6 years ago. Other hi-lights: my experiences were taught, not real. Even tho VPW plagiarized, they're glad he did. I was rebuked in the name of JC to stop posting. I refused to stop and pointed out the failed rebuking. No reply. I was called a liar. Told anyone who speaks against the Way doesn't believe the word. Told I had NO RIGHT to speak against twi. I was told that I "look poor" (they have my picture) and that I am overweight because I left The Way. Was told "no one wants to hear this" Was told that TWI had to reduce membership in order to keep an eye on people. Was told Mark and Avoid didn't exist. Was told that being critical of TWI was proof that I didn't believe in God's word. Then , I watched the same people be critical of the Catholic Church. When I pointed out the hypocrisy, they told me that I keep concentrating on the negative. I was told that people who leave TWI have streaks of bad luck. I told them that didn't happen to me. They said "Yeah but what good have you done?" As if my life were a waste. I was told I do not believe The Word. I just want to hug these kids and let them know. But they're so brainwashed they can't even hold a decent argument. They told me arguing is devilish, even as they argue with me. They also told me gay people cannot be saved! It hurts that they won't even consider my side. I grew up like them and it ended up really stunting my growth. They're walking into trouble and it kills me that I can't help them. Le the WAYGB read this and stew on it. You are killing the innocence and spirit of youth!

Forgive my ignorance. The Way bought land in Toledo? Info please!

I just had a very long conversatio with some innies and they claim that The Way is great now and that the problem before was that there were too many members. They're actually keeping it SMALL on purpose. Then you see them with all the VPs and it just seem so corporate. Vive president of this, Vice President of that. Don't corporations want to grow? Who takes over if Rosie kicks the bucket? They need to find a three sided coint to flip.

"What's in your closet??? Eh??" Well an innie told me today that homosexuality is contagious so...

Out There, you're not going to fathom this because it seems really rediculous but when I was a kid there were still people who thought that Louis Louis was evil. I also had heard about the FBI thing, which is true. But the FBI should have done what I did all those years ago. I wrote a letter to The Library of Congress and requested the lyrics. They were on file. That famous version of that song is a cover. It's an old raggae song by a guy named Richard Berry. The lyrics I printed are the ones from the origional copyright. Not bad eh?

Poor Sue Watson. Mega talented woman who's claim to fame is that Vic made her sing this song ever year.

I hate to be a wise ars but: Louie Louie, me gotta go. Louie Louie, me gotta go. A fine little girl, she wait for me. Me catch the ship across the sea. I sailed the ship all alone. I never think I'll make it home. Louie Louie, me gotta go. Three nights and days we sailed the sea. Me think of girl constantly. On the ship, I dream she there. I smell the rose in her hair. Louie Louie, me gotta go. Me see Jamaican moon above. It won't be long me see me love. Me take her in my arms and then I tell her I never leave again. Louie Louie, me gotta go.

That should have read NOT of God. I wasn't being sarcastic, I mis typed.

Rascal is right. Also, most of my recollections of leadership hitting kids was corps on corps. I don't recall them doing that to new folks coming to twig. I am willing to bet it did happen. But Rascal is right. In residence was a whole different story than the real world. "So it's the people, not the teachings from God that made grave error..." Agreed. What was happening in Rome City was definetly of God.

"They just couldn't get the fact that he was ALWAYS, even as a toddler, the kind of kid who responded extremely well if he understood WHY you wanted certain behaviors from him. A little explanation, a little understanding on his part and he was good as gold... " This is something TWI never got. Children may not always understand WHY. That's why they ask WHY all the time. Never explaining anything to them makes them frustrated. They have brains, they are people, they deserve an explenation. They're not that different from adults that they should just be beaten into submission. "because I said so" isn't a very good reason to listen to someomne. "--- this from the people who's kids turned out to be the most bullying, vindictive, taunting, arrogant teens I've ever met ---" That irony wasn't ever lost on me. I always saw thet hypocracy of leadership when their kids were the worst kids, by far. Yet they would command you to parent their way. It's mind boggling. But I never said anything, out of pure fear. The amount of fear I lived with while in residence was too much for a person to handle. It's no wonder I was so anxious all the time. It was exhausting.

I was once reproved by W. Cl**p for a very bad thing I did. He spoke to me in a gentle tone, but still made me feel terrible for what I had done. I was waiting for the beating but it never came. He told me how I should have handled the situation, showed me how what I did was wrong. I left that room feeling so good and yes he gave me a hug. He didn't "love me up" , he gave me a genuine arm around the shoulder. That's how it's done. Oh by the way, I never crossed him again. Not out of fear but out of love.

I gotta say, I detested being "loved up" after a beating. That love em up stuff came off as a crock. Mostly because the beatings were done in anger. Rage. But nothing felt creepier than getting a big hug from someone who just layed the smackdown on me.

They never taught you to beat your children, not in those terms. But they did beat us. GB, head of Children's Activities, used to punch us with close fists. He had a real temper issue. I had a wooden spoon BROKEN over my head once, another time it shattered on my back. The other problem is that, in residence (Rome City AND New Knoxville), everyone had a spoon. Parents or not. Everyone had permission to use those spoons on other people's kids. So you had some people who took that green light too far. Especially people who didn't have kids. Also many leaders were so corrupted by power, they were verbally abusive. Real drill sergants. Well imagine that rage coming thru a wooden spoon, on someone else's kid. It may have been "obe swat" to "get my attention" but that one swat could knock you out. So, yes, they weren't taught to beat us. They just did it on their own and it became part of the culture. It wasn't everyone, but there were plenty of abusers. Especially people who had no experience with children being thrust into Children's activities jobs. There was no training, you were just thrown to the wolves. I cannot tell you how many welts, raised bruises, blood and bumps I saw in 2 years.

Oldiesman. I was beaten by TWI leadership and my parents my entire childhood. Thankfully my skin is too think to be offended by your indifference and denial. But I will say this : you're not funny.

The child molestation thread has given this topic new meaning. Let's just say, that the "flashbacks" part of my topic was understated. dammit, it makes me so mad. I once mentioned on waydale that we mini/junior corps had many "supervised" games of "truth or dare" where the dares got way out of hand. There was an "adult" there and it still got ridiculous. You cannot have a pack of repressed teens in a room (on undetected Gergio Jessio wine), overnight and expect anything else. That's what the adult is for! But there were no boundaries! Innocence was lost, people were hurt and forced to do things and these "adults" and/or "rovers" let it happen. God am I upset right now. At least someone got some justice!

It's just as bad. I saw it first hand. I witnessed it with others. I heard about it, and believed it based on the person(s) history and the pattern of behavior and my experience with the same. I am almost 100% confident to say that this was an accepted part of clergy life in TWI. Sort of a sub-secret society not unlike Rome. It makes me sick. I have grounds to sue or at least be a witness. Rome City could be a disgusting place. Rovers, my a$$.

mstar1 that wasn't a dream, that was revelation!

My wife just reminded me of one where I go to the rock but they make me wear a yellow wrist band because my PFAL grad status has been revoked. I then spemd the whole time looking for VPW so he can get me a blue one. People keep reminding me he's dead , which makes me think the color of an armband really doesn't matter. I love the Grafunkel dream! You want to do what you want to do, but TWI won't let you.

Rascal I have dreams about The Rock all the time. I go back to where I always pitched my tent and walk around looking for people. Sometimes I don't recognize a soul. Sometimes I see old friends, and they haven't aged. Sometimes they're all older. Sometimes I am welcome, sometimes I get kicked out. It's amazing the variations I have on the same dream. True to life , my emotions are mixed.

In my immediate post twi life (15plus years ago),I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I couldn't sleep, hated God, was angry and confused. I was 17 and my future was supposed to be with TWI. I had no plans after high school but to go WOW then go into The Corps. Suddenly the stick hit the fan and my future was a mystery. While I have my life together now, it did take many depressed years to get it together. During that time I experienced some flashbacks , especially when I was exposed to religion, televangelists or people from various churches trying to witness to me. I would clam up, get dizzy and fight back anger and tears. While that almost never happens anymore, it still creeps in. For example, the other day I was at an organic coffee shop and the (very nice) woman working there said to me "this tea is going to bless you real big" I almost fell over. I HAD to ask and it turns out she's never heard of TWI. Since the flashbacks are almost gone my only unresolved post TWI issue is my dreams. To this day, especially when having a bad day, I dream that I am riding my bike to Uncle Harry Hill, by the Moat. That's an easy dream to interpret because when I was in residence in Rome City, that's exactly where I would go when life got to be too much. I was there often as my time in residence had many nightmarish elements to it. That place helped me survive. But last night I had a crazy dream and it really freaked me out. In it I was a little kid, working at The Rock making pancake batter with a bunch of faceless Way women. Suddenly I started crying. When one of the women asked me what was wrong I said "this is wrong, this isn't about God, we have to leave". When I said that, all the women stopped making pancakes, dropped everything and started to cry saying things like "I'm glad someone finally said something" I woke up totally freaked out because I realized that even as a young child I thought there was something seriously wrong with TWI and Way life. It amazes me that after 15 plus years I am still having these vivid dreams about TWI. Anyone else have this problem?

ugh. That's so ridiculous it makes you wonder how far up the moon our heads were. Imagine the pope, or a rabbi or a jehova's Witness pulling that crap. It just sucks the legitemacy right out of TWI. Yet there we were, pretending to feel blessed.

I have no problem believing that. He would get hammered at Rome City all the time. And he'd smoke in everyone's face. He was the only one who was allowed to smoke in doors. He couldn't even control himself for a few minutes. I always thought that was a terrible hipocracy. I asked my mother why he was allowed to smoke. Text book answer "He's the man of God" Yeah right.

It wasn't maturity. You had to have mastery of a Gift Minitry, as I recall. I always found itt really weird that he was never ordained. Maybe the revelaton never came. As illogical and bizzare TWI's processes were I would LOVE to hear the reasoning behind Howrd not being ordained. He almost never did any teachings or public speaking so maybe he was *just* "good" with money and was the treasurer strictly for that reason.

Not only is that a dangling participle, it's just silly. Women aren't allowed to clock men either. It's conveniently illegal to clock people, regardless. Dude, I don't know you. But I am telling you that in my opinion you need to work on that anger problem of yours. If I am wrong then my only other choice is to think that you're a guy who likes to stir the pot, cause problems and be outrageous on message boards. I've seen that type on other sites. Grease Spot is not immune.

Yup growing up in The Way sure was tough.