TheHighWay

Even if the subject matter in WAP wasn't way off the charts weird, Craig's method of teaching was HIDEOUS. He'd start on a subject, then say, "I'm gonna tell you more about that later." and then go off on some other tangent... When I had to sit thru WAP my second time, I purposely listened to see how often he actually DID "tell us more about it" later on and it was almost NEVER. Disjointed, confronting, topics way, way, way over the head of any newbies. In fact, the newbies we had were 2 kids of leadership, and an adult woman who spent the whole class telling me how confused and disappointed she was, and finished the class only because she'd made the commitment but who was so put off by all the plastic people who were running the thing, she quit coming to fellowships right after the class ended. Oh, and on that note, when WAP was first introduced, it was only to be made available to folks who were faithfully attending fellowships for a certain period of time (months, then a month, then weeks). But by the time we ran our class (a year or two later) they railroaded this gal into taking it by making all kinds of promises about what she would learn, and then "ran" her through ONE fellowship meeting the night before class was starting just to be able to say she had "attended". So much for standards.

AdiosMiCorazon, please email me at mugcollector@hotmail.com ... Thanks

Don't know why but his name just popped into my head the other day. I would love to know whatever happened to him and how he's doing these days? He brought me many of my happier moments in-rez, especially when he would just burst into song as he walked down the hallways of Founders Hall.

Daryl, Thanks for posting your story. May your life's journey from here on be a wonderful one.

Oh my gosh... between the department lists and the picture, best laugh I've had in WEEKS. Thanks all !!

The movie is accurate because it's based on a series of books that are EXTREMELY detailed and accurate... Patrick O'Brian has written 18-20 books about these characters, starting with the first time Jack Aubrey and Dr. Matchurin meet, and ending with Jack as an admiral. For 40+ years O'Brian has read ALL there is of British naval records, logbooks, etc. and put much of it into his books. I've read and re-read this series for about six years now and was very excited but a bit nervous to hear they were making a movie. Thank goodness the director decided to put all that detail into the movie!! Good stuff.

Once again, I am left almost speechless by the complete DRIVEL sent out by a twi representative!! Harve trying to decipher just what it was that JP was "disagreeing with" smacks of the same kind of self-serving smugness as qualifying what the word "is" means. The question, "How stupid do you think we are?" comes to mind, quickly followed by, "Scratch that... How stupid are you????" But the comment that I don't believe has been mentioned yet in this thread that popped out as I was reading was this: ... While we cannot (and will not) use the ministry assets for such personal expenses, [ie Mrs W's nursing home costs] we will find a legal and viable solution to ensure that your mother's needs are satisfied. FIND... they would find a way to pay... if and when it eventually becomes necessary because there is no other way to get things paid for... They haven't FOUND a way, they aren't even LOOKING for a way right now... they are quite happy to use any other means available to cover this rather than to exert themselves to find a way THEY can pay for her needs right now. Nope... not because they promised Vic, not because they owe her, not because it's simply the right thing to do... oh heavens NOT because they actually have emotional feelings for the woman!!! If this were about someone I genuinely loved with all my heart (as they should feel for Mrs. W) I would be doing everything and anything to get around the obstacles, not sitting back at my desk shooting out letters stating why I couldn't do anything. Yup, Harve... clearly states your heart and intent, your methods and your justifications... 'nuff said. [This message was edited by TheHighWay on October 26, 2003 at 18:44.] [This message was edited by TheHighWay on October 26, 2003 at 18:45.]

John and Cheryl-Anne are out. I cannot speak for them directly but my last contact with them gave me the impression that they were stuck between a rock and a hard place (as were many of us) for a long time and did things they were not at all proud of... let's face it, for a lot of us, the longer you are out, the more you realize just how badly you were behaving and how many apologies you owe people.

Does anyone know if she's in or out? Or where she is? Thanks

I got an email response from Eric this spring and can only describe his wording as "careful". He didn't come right out and say it, but it was very clear to me they are still in twi and think it's a wonderful thing. Once he realized I no longer think twi is a wonderful thing, he quit emailing me.

Oh dang... I don't count... only 19 years for me...

My biggest problem these days is trying not to be selfish and lazy. After many, many years of putting everyone else first, ALWAYS. And the same amount of years with almost NO free time, now that I'm out I've "rebounded". I feel that I spend far too much time pleasing only myself and often putter away my free time with completely unproductive stuff. So, is that selfish and lazy? Or is it really that I'm okay and still need to get over the guilty feelings?

Okay, my turn... I was still in twi, very unhappy, but trapped by family circumstances. Then the Allen lawsuit hit, I found WayDale, and I couldn't keep quiet any longer. When family members insisted I discuss my grievances with the local leadership, they did their best to talk me into falling back in line and forgetting what I had learned. If not, they didn't want me to attend fellowships any longer. They said I had a choice, "It's our way or the hiway." And I replied, "No-way. I'll just take TheHighWay. Bye, Way."

Hey Eric and Janice, if that's really you and you are out please, please email me... dobbyisfree@hotmail.com Some old buds from the 18th corps would love to hear from you!!

Ditto... last confirmed WA address was 2001. I would LOVE to find out how these two are doing! Tumbleweed, do you know if they are in or out?

Cats are like dust bunnies... once you have one, they just seem to multiply in your midst. I now seem to have become house-mom to a stray tom. He comes to my porch every morning and sits, looking in the window at my cats. He knows they can't touch him, and he sits calmly watching them throw themselves at the glass, telling him it's THEIR house, not his. I love his sweet, dopey face. He's still too skittery to let me pet him, but he no longer darts off the porch when I approach with food and water. And when I come home in the evening, he's often sitting in the yard waiting. Yeah, I know, it's the kibble and not me he's waiting for, but give me a few months, he'll be my baby like the rest of them.

I also run a multiple cat home. All indoor only. One is declawed because she REFUSED to stop shredding my furniture. But the others mind their manners and keep the clawing to the proper places. I love them all but my favorite by far is my meezer (siamese). Talk about personality!! Part human, part dog, part cat. Great pet.

Thanks much for the information! I had no idea...

Rottie... I'm curious about your source of "authorities" who say that one of the factors of a cult is that they don't believe Jesus is God... I just read an interview with an expert who said he doesn't judge a cult to be a cult based on any of it's doctrine, only on how the structure works and how it treats it's people. He said cults come in all sorts of religions with all sorts of teachings. I'm just curious... maybe he's the exception.

The desperate desire to leave twi was built over the course of ten years. Leadership setting us up as the bad guys with the local people, then hanging us out to dry. The holier-than-thou (apology, what apology?) attitude of the leadership. The scheduled-to-death boredom of the fellowships. The fact that people who wouldn't even accept an invitation to dinner in my house were telling us how to spend our money and when we could go on vacation... And then came the Allen lawsuit. And they treated us with total contempt by not telling us anything, by getting angry when we went elsewhere for the information, and by denying the obvious truth that this had been going on for a long, long time. And then, when they gave lcm a top assignment, I just about flipped!! I had planned on biting my tongue and seeing if I couldn't persuade others to see the truth, but I just couldn't take it any more and got myself in trouble with the leadership, ending up a proud member of the M&A club.

My first reaction as "Hell no!" But I guess I have to be honest and say I would still have a morbid curiosity about anything he said that I didn't already know about... hence my "addiction" to WayDale and Greasespot. Every once in a while, someone posts something I didn't know, and CLINK, another piece of the puzzle falls into place.

Wayfer not... I'm glad to hear she looks happy!! She deserves that much. Thanks for posting that...

Sweet gal while in residence!! As of two years ago, she was married, was getting more-severe-looking (ala twi-style) by the minute, and was (at least occassionlly) one of the Singing Ladies of the Way. I don't know about after that. I can only hope she has maintained some of the goodness she had in her, regardless of her twi experience.

Sogwap, I see from your profile you left twi in '88 and mostly had a good experience. You'll find things changed DRASTICALLY in the '90s. Spend plenty of time reading through the older threads, or if you want the quick version, feel free to email me: dobbyisfree@hotmail.com

Wayward, I don't have any good ideas for getting out of going, because I was married to a nazi-spouse who wouldn't DREAM of letting me stay home "just because". (And at that point we had mandatory witnessing at least 3-4 times a month! --headaches and sick kids only worked about every other month) So, I just looked for ways to make the best of a bad situation once I was there. I would window-shop, and try perfumes, and play with the toys in the toy store and chat with folks but not bring up twi at all, and just basically try to have my own good time. Then I'd just report back that I had xx amount of contacts but no one was meek to hearing the Word. Aside from the twice-a-year chewing out over not bringing anyone new to fellowship, it worked like a charm.