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Where would you be?


Jim Wood
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I have read many threads on the negative aspects of being involved in twi, but have you thought about where and what circumstances you may be in if you hadn't been involved?

I'm almost sure East Texas wouldn't be my home and my life as it is. Simply put, I like where life's journey has taken me so far. :)

Jim

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People that left dope and Burger King behind probably feel differently than those that left dope and college behind ... to go WOW or Corps ...

Also depending on if the person was feeling down and out or feeling fine.

Also depending on how far in you were and your personal experience. It is possible some were on some road to destruction, saved by some WOWs ... maybe they would have been saved anyway, but not hooked on TWI world.

I think for me, eleven years dedicated to just about anything else would have been better. I did learn to clean windows, which worked well for me ... and I had fun in the city I stayed in for 15 years after POP, but I chose that location.

But TWI was a dogmatic cult ... people that enjoyed some of the fun on the edges would have found their own fun in better ways somewhere else. They would have given their time and money to better causes.

The armed services would have been better for most ... people could have put in their 20 years from 1975 to 1995 and have retired on half pay with benefits and real skills ...

Edited by rhino
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Whew, I wouldn`t be living in Tenn raising 7 children, I know that.

I have two sisters and a brother whom never got involved with twi. They all got college educations, have had great jobs enjoyed prosperity, and are all getting ready to retire on fat pensions, building their dream cabins at the lake.

I can`t help but feel envious of where my life would have gone, had it not been detoured by twi :(

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Where would I be? Well.. I wouldn't be in college at 51 years old..

Probably have a LOT more money.. last week, my account actually hit -1.36.

:biglaugh:

Probably have a doctorate in chemistry, math, physics, or a combination thereof..

probably married and divorced a few times..

probably be a functional alcoholic..

But not miserable. Not that I am miserable now..

Looking at old age and retirement with -1.36 in the bank could depress some people I suppose.. doesn't bother me too much. I guess I'm nutso..

:biglaugh:

Well.. two good things came out of my involvement. I have two kids.. they are both intelligent, both of them have a college degree, both are married to spouses which I could not hand-pick ones any better..

and neither of them are tied up in a $%*@ cult..

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Woulda, coulda, shoulda,

Who knows how it would have turned out?

I can't see where my 15 years of dedicated Wayferism did ME any good, though.

Now I'm thinking I'd rather have HAD the drugs and venereal diseases and whatever other evil side-effects one gets from living a life of debauchery. At least I'd have some better stories to tell and memories of stuff other than stringing chairs, singing tired old hymns, and generally playing the part of servile lackie.

Regret is a Mutha#$%ker. And looking back at my WayWorld involvement will never cease to bring me carloads of that. Just wasted years of icky, drippy, subserviant, superstition-laden, demeaning, obeisance to an MLM hierarchy. (shudder)...

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Jim,

I see you're trying to start a "TWI wasn't ALL bad" thread. Good luck with that.

I probably would not have met my wife and stepkids or had the three wonderful grandsons I have now.

On the other hand, I probably would be married, with kids and grandkids, and hopefully happy.

I would not have met many of the people I consider friends (including, ironically, Rhino and George Aar).

I would have other friends.

I would probably still be Roman Catholic, though I might have been delivered from that by other means.

I might still be addicted to nasal spray, but I might have been delivered from that, as well.

I would almost certainly not have the knowledge of the Bible that I have now; but then, maybe I would.

Too many things have happened since 1978 for me to make any meaningful predictions about where my life would have gone. I'm happy with what I have.

George

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Who knows?Does anybody really care?Think I have done ok,Great wife,wonderful kids,could not ask

for more.No thanks to the cult,definetly despite them,My take on it?You are who you are,I do believe god has a pourpose for us.

Ham my friend in a few years, youll be makin the bacon,all the good stuff will be threre.

The way brain,It was fabricated by them,Could have been worse,could be dead.

Tomorrow tomorrow theres always tomorrow.

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Now I'm thinking I'd rather have HAD the drugs and venereal diseases and whatever other evil side-effects one gets from living a life of debauchery.

Now George.. you could have had all that and more, had you climbed a little further up on the MLM ladder..

:biglaugh:

Edited by Ham
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Ham my friend in a few years, youll be makin the bacon,all the good stuff will be threre.

Well, I hope so..

I've already out-lived my dad by about three years. The only thing I can think.. should I meet with a demise before paying back the student loans, they'll probably shoot a couple loan sharks (officers) after giving them explicit instructions to go collect from me..

:biglaugh:

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Jim,

I see you're trying to start a "TWI wasn't ALL bad" thread. Good luck with that.

I probably would not have met my wife and stepkids or had the three wonderful grandsons I have now.

On the other hand, I probably would be married, with kids and grandkids, and hopefully happy.

I would not have met many of the people I consider friends (including, ironically, Rhino and George Aar).

I would have other friends.

I would probably still be Roman Catholic, though I might have been delivered from that by other means.

I might still be addicted to nasal spray, but I might have been delivered from that, as well.

I would almost certainly not have the knowledge of the Bible that I have now; but then, maybe I would.

Too many things have happened since 1978 for me to make any meaningful predictions about where my life would have gone. I'm happy with what I have.

George

George,

I'm grateful for the replies, perhaps I should have worded the question a tad bit better, of course where or what we might have been, would be just a guess at best.

My involvement was not long compared to a lot of the members on this list, so I now can understand others may think.

On the other hand I have a sister that met her husband and worked for years at headquarters, he took what he learned on the job and has been prospering ever since. Rare story I'd say at this time.

Will add that my bible is dust covered, and if someone starts preaching to me, I get very irritated. :realmad:

Jim

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I married one of the WOWs who got me in the class, we have kids so that would not have happened outside the Way.

I don't have much regret for the 80's, mostly I knew enthusiastic young people. Hubby and I did make decisions about career and education that may have been much different if we hadn't spent so much time 'Moving the Word'. Working, raising a family and doing ministry time didn't leave time for continuing education. In the nineties we didn't feel free to go where the jobs were.

We bought a starter home and then sold it as per TWI leadrshi+, which was financially stupid and did not prosper us--we paid more in rent than we had on our mortagage. After leaving TWI we bought another 'starter' home, which we still live in, which turned out to be a good move since housing in our area sky rocketed.

Trying to raise a family and jump through all the hoops in the nineties was just ugly. We had no time or energy to think about much beyond surviving(pleasing leadership). After we finally left we started to think about what we really wanted. We moved from the large city we were in( again at the counsel of leadershi+) and returned to a small town in the Rockies where we both felt more at home. It has great schools, too.

I'm getting back in college to get my middle school teacher certification and hoping to pickup a job in the school district in the next year or so. We don't have much saved for retirement and hubby has a chronic illness and may not be able to work full time for many more years, so this will work better for us.

If we had left TWI early on I think we'd be in better shape financially because we wouldn't have had all our focus on the next class, next advance, save for the Rock lifestyle we lived for 20 years. We wouldn't have sold our little house in a rush of 'get out of debt.' I doubt we would have ever lived in a big city since neither of us like them!

We are in better shape having left TWI, especially where the kids are concerned. I'm so thankful we got out when they were young! We have had no ministry conflicts over school activities etc, which we had even when they were in grade school in TWi.

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Well, I got clean and sober in TWI. That was good. I paid a high price for that, however, and not just financially.

I had two children while in TWI, I love them beyond words and wouldn't undo that.

I met my husband thanks to Greasespot, which I never would have been a member of without TWI. I've made some good friends too.

My self esteem grew in leaps and bounds as a result of my experience LEAVING TWI.

Those are the pluses.

The bad - I paid a high price financially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually for all of that. I still have serious trust issues and cannot bring myself to become involved with another religious organization - or any other organization really, at least not one that requires an emotionall or spiritual committment.

Where would I be if I had never been involved in TWI? I have no idea. I could be dead. I could be drunk and stoned somewhere. Or, I could have gotten clean and sober via some other route, and ended up in the same place but with a different husband and different children.

I wouldn't trade my husband or children for a life of no TWI experience. However, I would gadly trade the "scars" I received in the process.

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Hehe - maybe this thread is not for me because I am only 26 and I have a college education? ;) My mother is out and she is now getting her college education in her 50's as well.

This is going to sound weird - bear with me - but I've been thinking about it and I'm a little worried about where I would be if my parents HADN'T gotten into TWI. No I don't think I learned any life lessons or that TWI has done ANYTHING for me but cause me heartache... but my mother and father when they were younger were very attracted to cults - my mother still is to an extent - she is still looking for that "we all have to think the same way" culty sort of church. I keep thinking what if they got into something else that was a little more tight-knit that TWI? *shudder* Like one of those cults that have ALL their members in a camp forever and ever not just a couple weeks or years?

I do think it would have been different if my parents had stayed at headquarters. I would have gotten the trapped in cultsville life. Ugh. I just don't know how it would have worked out if VP or LCM had demanded that everyone live in headquarters. Ugh - so creepy.

Ok - I'm rambling... but I am exhausted. That and I watched a cult documentary today. Do you guys ever watch those and think to yourself - well at least I didn't have to drink the poisoned punch? Blah! Rambling again!

I don't think I would be anywhere different. My parents wanted me to get an education and despite all of TWI's beatchy don't-go-to-college-or-you'll-become-gay crapola - they sent me. Now if I had stayed in it probably would have messed up my life... if I had to go to fellowships all the darned time and had to endure anymore verbal abuse instead of getting to study I'm sure my grades would have slipped.

Edited: because I totally missed the question! Dur! *bonks head*

Edited by Nero
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I would have to say I am glad I met the people in OKC they had heart,the PEOPLE I don't regret!

I would probably be just where I am just delayed getting there,which is why I married my man when

TWI advised NOT too. That was my wake up call (he is still waking me up after 26 yrs)

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There is something I WILL say about where I am because of twi.

My enjoyment of life is so much more keen, from not being allowed to follow dreams or goals. Every accomplishment is sweeter, every goal achieved more deeply savored because of having been *taboo* for decades.

Not being allowed to be myself, or to pursue my dreams has made me appreciate just how precious, how not to be taken for granted out freedom is.

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I will say this of my experience in TWI......"It was the Best of TImes and the Worst of times" The best of those times has outweighed my best of times out of TWI......but the Worst of times far outweighs anything I have experiencd since leaving TWI.

Would I return...NO.....That's a big NO from me. I loved some of the people and became good friends with them......but where are they now? I have little contact with former Way people. About 4 to be exact. I think when I first got involved, it was a good thing cause I was very suicidal at the time and on the edge. However, what happened in the years to come is taking more years out to undo than I was in for. Putting my life back together has been a tedious, difficult, and emotional rollercoaster. Others have said it....there was a price to pay for being in TWI.......I'm still paying!!!!!

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It's difficult to say, who knows what decisions I would have made if not influenced by a cult mindset?

I was in my second year of college when I joined up with TWI, but I wasn't doing well and ended up dropping out for reasons that had nothing to do with TWI. I took a year off, went back to night school and ended up leaving again, once again for reasons that had nothing to do with TWI. Shortly after that, I was sent as a WOW to Nebraska. I'm reasonably sure that I never would have come to Nebraska if not for TWI, so physically I'd still be in the New York City area.

I met my first wife because of TWI and raised 6 kids with her, so I wouldn't have the same kids that I have now, but I probably would have married anyway and had children. I met my second wife in Nebraska, so I never would have met her.

There wasn't any deep dark things that I was "delivered of" by joining TWI, although my drinking and partying tapered off quite a bit due to my involvement in TWI activities.

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Wow. That's quite a question. Where would I be if I had never gotten involved with TWI? I'd probably be a minister's wife, somewhere in the greater Dallas / Fort Worth area. I also have to ask myself where my high school sweetheart would be. That's a story.

He was a sweet, cute, very nice Christian boy, with plans to go to theology school and become a minister. He was the first boy who ever proposed to me; he knew that I'd be a sweet wife and a good minister's spouse. He proposed on the 4th of July, 1975. I wouldn't accept, because he didn't trust TWI, and wouldn't take the class, which I'd taken in January of that year. As the summer wore on, I grew increasingly intolerant that he continued to be "an unbeliever," despite his strong faith and ministerial carreer plans. We broke up. During his first year of theology school, some philosophy geek succeeded in convincing this sweet boy that God didn't exist. I wasn't there to make any counterarguments, or just to be his friend, to shore him up in the darkness. He dropped out of his theology courses and became a very successful male stripper in Dallas. Last I heard, he managed a health club. A dozen years after we broke up, after he'd already quit dancing, we met for dinner. He made it a point to tell me that I'd chosen a better path than he had; he was gracious to the end. I was about to get out of the ministry at that time, because I'd finally realized how twisted it was. There we were, both damaged in different ways, because of a fork in the road.

I think that we all have had choices: divergences wherein we must choose one or the other, and in the choosing, we burn some bridges. I think that God has protected me because of my main motivation for joining TWI, which was to serve Him. Folks, we won't be the last people to do the wrong thing for a noble reason.

I wouldn't trade my husband, whom I met years after leaving TWI, for anything. He really is the love of my life. We have two great chilldren, and I gained two fabulous stepkids. Synopsis: I joined a cult, and gave it the best years of my youth, and God helped my life to work out happily, anyway. Score: Satan and Weirwille - ZERO. GOD and ME - EVERYTHING.

All thanks and adoration belong to GOD, who has showered us with both his grace (getting good things we don't deserve) and his mercy (not getting bad things that we do deserve).

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It may have taken me longer to stop the drugs and drinking. It may have taken me longer to reevaluate my life and make some changes. I would not have met my now husband of 28 years. I probably would not have had 2 additional children. I might have buckled down harder and finished pre-dent and become a dentist like I was planning to do instead of marrying him and dropping out.

I might have never gone back to church.

I wasn't like a lot of you. I didn't buy into the whole immersing myself into the organization is the only way to God spiel. My husband had already experienced the "joy" of being a twig leader and wanted nothing more to do with it. He was so "impressed" with the advanced class and going WOW that he never encouraged me to do either. Actually he said it was a bad idea. Our involvement was so fringe because we refused to be directed to the extent that we were probably merely tolerated. Our attendance at twig was sporadic, particularly after the kids were born. Since I had 2 babies, my tendency was to be late, therefore unwelcome. I also tended to gather the children and leave after about an hour and a half.

I felt TWI gave me a systematic approach to Bible study, which has taken me farther than if left to my own devices. That approach is what ultimately led to me rejecting much of what was taught in the practical realm and finding that other things were simply irrelevant.

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Oh my. I really liked post #2 by rhino and post #5 by geo. and everyone else's that i've read so far.

bramble, my prayers are for you and your ((((((husband))))))) and his chronic illness.

and nero, i think you're great. and the person who started this thread too.

okay i'll have to go and read a bit more.

--

for me, i don't know.

oh wait! if this was all a plan to bring my son into the world, it was WAY MORE THAN WORTH IT. THANK YOU GOD.

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Woulda, coulda, shoulda,

Who knows how it would have turned out?

I can't see where my 15 years of dedicated Wayferism did ME any good, though.

Now I'm thinking I'd rather have HAD the drugs and venereal diseases and whatever other evil side-effects one gets from living a life of debauchery. At least I'd have some better stories to tell and memories of stuff other than stringing chairs, singing tired old hymns, and generally playing the part of servile lackie.

Regret is a Mutha#$%ker. And looking back at my WayWorld involvement will never cease to bring me carloads of that. Just wasted years of icky, drippy, subserviant, superstition-laden, demeaning, obeisance to an MLM hierarchy. (shudder)...

I agree with George...I was in twi from the time I was 24 until I was 37...a lot of guys were planting roots, making investments and developing their careers during those years...me? I was on the yellow brick road, off to see the wizard...

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