The Monotony was Killing Me

[skyrider]

The monotony of twi was killing me....

Sitting in class after class, meeting after meeting.....no wonder Chair Stringing 101 is a prerequisite in corps training.

How long does this sufferance need to be tolerated? Who's running this butt-brigade anyways?

Two Categories: [A] HQ and Field:

Category A: HQ

Years ago, when I worked on staff.....it struck me that three groups emerged in this monotony

of whether one is obligated or not to have his butt firmly planted in a seat EVERY MEETING:

1) Top-tier.....mog-dom seniority, emeritus, inner-circle, connected, favored, loyal

2) Performers...green room, teacher, emcees, singers, musicians, bodyguards, receptionists, burger-flippers

3) Audience.....regular staffers at monthly staff mtgs, visitors (and staff) at sunday teachings

Heck, why did those burger-flippers have such a PASSION FOR THEIR JOB each sunday?

Because....it gave them a declared purpose and DUTY to not have their butt in a seat.

Add: a/v, security, bookstore personnel, refreshments, receptionists, green room assistants, etc.

Some of the "connected" staff could sit in their trailers and watch on closed-circuit monitors....

these were certain staffers that were given protected-status by top-tier from any confrontation.

Category B: Field

In the earlier years [1970-78]...twigs on the field were fairly loose. You could go, or not go,

every week and still be welcomed in. Or, you could hop from one twig to the next....on occasion.

If you were not faithful in weekly tithe/abs, it didn't cause major confrontation. Depending on

each state, area, and leadership......things started tightening up with each passing year.

It got to the point were.....1) Attending twig 3X a week was standard procedure, 2) If you missed twig

then you'd better have a good reason or expect confrontation, 3) Monitoring each person, attendance

for an upcoming Advanced Class Special was highly expected, of every adv class grad, 4) Having your

butt in the seat was as expected as what hq did.

Yep.....a total drag.

This thread has triggered some memories associated with what was wrong with TWI. People weren't going to stay if they were being made miserable - which I was.

I was in I-Hop as a waitress in the city I was currently assigned. I watched a customer leave the restaurant and as I watched him go, I felt a wave on envy. Here was a person going on about the next thing he was going to do and he didn't have a meeting he had to go to, he didn't have to feel like he had to witness wherever he went....and here I was with all this TWI baggage but I was COMMITTED for life! Because I was CORPS!! I was stuck and if I didn't like it, that was was my fault because I wasn't renewing my mind. That feeling of envy was a red flag that something wasn't right, but instead of heeding it, I continued on in my misery.

In the same I-Hop, we had signed up another waitress and she took the class. She wouldn't go to Twig, though. She told me it was because we all seemed so wrapped up in meetings and classes and that's all we did and she didn't want to be like that. I couldn't really argue with her since I saw her point. Yet I continued on in my bondage to TWI.

Years later, I was married and living elsewhere and my husband and I were running a small twig. At this point I had managed to get a little less involved and I had learned to avoid despotic leaders. Anyway, I was at work, and realized it was a non-Twig evening and I felt a total sense of RELIEF. Another red flag. How were we supposed to be under all this pressure to get people into something that was a drag?

Three years after that, in 1988 I was finally able to leave. I could have sooner, but I wouldn't listen to myself because I didn't trust my own self because it had been buried under my Waybrain.

[Bolshevik]

Don't forget detailed schedules. Be detail minded.

Did you plan to tie your shoes before or after you brushed your teeth in the morning?

Did you follow the plan that God blessed? If not, by tying your shoes first, you've walked out from under God's protection, giving The Adversary access to the Household.

Shame. Shame. Shame.

No condemnation.

[shortfuse]

Then there was the trap that the the boredom was your fault. If you aren't excited, you are passionate for the truth. And if you aren't passionate for the truth, it's your job to get that way. Any boredom is a failure on your part :)

[T-Bone]

this thread reminds me of the movie Edge of Tomorrow tag line

live, die of boredom, repeat

[skyrider]

And if you aren't passionate for the truth, it's your job to get that way.

The butt-brigade was out in force to make sure that your butt was seated, 10-minutes ahead of time,

and with the frame of mind to "receive it with meekness."

The higher one's authority [caste system].....the more he/she was allowed to roam around

or not attend AT ALL. The little schlubs were ushered in first and near the front.

The heavies always would hang back or near the side aisles.

[outandabout]

Thus the phrase "Push yourself". If you really are doing what you want, you don't need to "Push Yourself".

[MRAP]

The only way to grow a TWIG was to break from the pattern, shoot, take your twig to a bar now and then, have some drinks and be family. Do what a family does not what the template dictates.

Witness, not a requirement by whip, do it when appropriate and running a class, well, that was not a priority (at least to me), if we had enough folks who wanted it (that class), then O.K. We lost more folks from the twigs after running the class, it confused them, it marketed - yes, the class markets and folks saw it. Maybe I confused them?

HQ and its' corp robots were not capable of seeing antyhing outa the box. In my opinion, I think the corp folk, et.al., only saw their involvement as temporary, those of us who stayed on realized that template was not going to work. You become friends, help each other in so many aspects (you don't claim, just believe to your fellows).

Yes, we sang and sometimes we howelled at the moon, we became tight, we still believed but we believed and lived on that believing in God and each other (was that wrong?): we became family and every now and then HQ representatives came to the area, we had to put on a facade, a faint, a mask. I hated that.

I hated taking money from poor folks and sending it to HQ when we should have been taking care of each other (well we did, after ABS and felt guilty about it because we interjected in their believing), ABS was a tithe law - pure and simple.

I both love and hate GSC, this thread topic drags up crap from the past, things that gnawed so many years ago. Yes, eat steak when others are eating familia.

[Bolshevik]

. . . .

I hated taking money from poor folks and sending it to HQ when we should have been taking care of each other (well we did, after ABS and felt guilty about it because we interjected in their believing), ABS was a tithe law - pure and simple.

. . .

"resented" might be a better term than "hated"

[skyrider]

HQ and its' corp robots were not capable of seeing antyhing outa the box. In my opinion, I think the corp folk, et.al., only saw their involvement as temporary, those of us who stayed on realized that template was not going to work. You become friends, help each other in so many aspects (you don't claim, just believe to your fellows).

Yes, we sang and sometimes we howelled at the moon, we became tight, we still believed but we believed and lived on that believing in God and each other (was that wrong?): we became family and every now and then HQ representatives came to the area, we had to put on a facade, a faint, a mask. I hated that.

I hated taking money from poor folks and sending it to HQ when we should have been taking care of each other (well we did, after ABS and felt guilty about it because we interjected in their believing), ABS was a tithe law - pure and simple.

I both love and hate GSC, this thread topic drags up crap from the past, things that gnawed so many years ago. Yes, eat steak when others are eating familia.

Yeah.....wierwille and his lieutenants had a box, but I didn't live in it. :anim-smile:/>/>/>

When they did meetings and stuff.....yes, the monotony was sheer drudgery. I despised it.

But....when I got to oversee things then I had a different way of doing things.

In 1994 and 1995, as a limb coordinator......I had annual limb meetings at the lake. With two ski

boats, we had a whole afternoon of water skiing, beach volleyball, games, and lounging around. We fired

up the grills for a variety of meats, served plenty of food and snacks....and later, s'mores around the

campfire. Some even set up tents and camped nearby for the night.

Heck, I even told people that they didn't need to bring their bible. I really think that I stunned

a few of them with that one. lol

I violated every checkbox from my corps training.....and our numbers just kept increasing.

Surprise, surprise.

.

Edited March 22, 2016 by skyrider

[DontWorryBeHappy]

mrap......your love hate relationship is NOT with GSC. it's between your ears. You can't go through the rest of your life blaming Gei$$ler and Eat0n for everything YOU think was wrong with the corpse and twit. They're long gone, unrepentant, and you should contact THEM with all your beefs and BS. You generalize all your contempt for all corpses on you interaction with 2 wierwille-worshipping morons. GET OVER IT! Call them. PM Gei$$ler or her husband Strze;ek. They're both on Facebook. Man up Mr. Military. Go to the source and quit dumping your 40 year old grudges here on us who had nothing to do with it. [Edited to remove name-calling] Stay in doctrinal [edited]. Or, confront the people you keep bitching about and tell us how it went. [The rest of this post is edited to remove namecalling].

[MRAP]

DWBH, thanks for the kind words.

With two possible exceptions, the rest of the corp and HQ folks I encountered in that time era were rather authoritarian and cut from the same mold.

I once pointed out that there seems to be a difference, change, in corp folks over the years, something I learned here on GSC and gave credit to GSC for that enlightenment.

I am quite sure that my prior post was on topic/thread.

[TLC]

DWBH, thanks for the kind words.

With two possible exceptions, the rest of the corp and HQ folks I encountered in that time era were rather authoritarian and cut from the same mold.

I once pointed out that there seems to be a difference, change, in corp folks over the years, something I learned here on GSC and gave credit to GSC for that enlightenment.

I am quite sure that my prior post was on topic/thread.

After reading that comment, I've a question to ask you, MRAP. (That is, if you dare give it some thought, or can be honest enough in your answer.)

Do you really think you could or would have given any real thought or attention (much less the time of day) to any corps or HQ folks back then that weren't in front of a podium, didn't have a "rev" in front of their nametag, or weren't otherwise associated with some kind of soapbox or pedestal?

Edited March 22, 2016 by TLC

[MRAP]

TLC, we are now way off thread/topic - it seems personal. If you have a beef with me, send a message and we can take this off line. Please re-word your question and get to the point.

[TLC]

TLC, we are now way off thread/topic - it seems personal. If you have a beef with me, send a message and we can take this off line. Please re-word your question and get to the point.

It's not a personal beef, nor am I offended by you. Sorry if takes the wind out of your sails, but I actually don't care. It was a very simple and straightforward question that was stirred up because of your statement that you made concerning "the rest of the corp and HQ folks [you] encountered in that time era" (other than two possible exceptions) being "rather authoritarian and cut from the same mold."

I presume "that time era" that you are addressing is circa late 70's - early eighties, right? (I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong.)

I also happen to know just a bit about the corps and staff at HQ during that same time era.

I also happen to know just a bit about why people commonly chose to like, listen to, or cater to certain people over other people there.

For you to make the comment that you did, is a strong indication to me of what sort of people you probably noticed and/or gave heed to, and those that you (in your own words) plainly didn't. So, I sorta wondered whether you would be honest enough, that when asked, would admit to or acknowledge any possibility of your own "less observant" (to say it kindly) state of mind back then.

Evidently not.

Edited March 22, 2016 by TLC

[MRAP]

I think what made twigs grow and why they were so popular to folks both from established religeons and others (outside established religeons) is that it was different: the home atmosphere and the words taught were a welcome change.

We turned that into just another religeon, my wife even said that to me after listening to the Sunday tapes and limb meetings: it just became another religeon. Shoot, folks knew when to grab the song books (hymnals) and when to grab their Bibles - turn to...

I mixed it up, yeh, only one song at first and two near the end - that was a fantastic change (I was a rebel).

This thread topic really hits home with me - we lost folks via boredom, despite how good a teaching might be. Our twigs maintained and grew new membership when we just did stuff together, away from that template.

Yes, this was a template established by the powers but those powers (at the time) lived outside the personal desires for a believers meeting as some of them saw such a meeting.

Many folks who came to the twigs were more than willing to listen, and not interrupt, they waited and then posed questions and dumb foot that I was, normally just quoted the standard crap: take the class or pulled out a book from the PFAL series or another one or stuff I had ear marked in the Bible.

Of note and off thread, I just got rid of over 100 lbs of Way books this week: to the recycle, not 2nd hand books or Goodwill; I did not think it appropriate to put that information out to the public.

Now, I am way off thread here: I made my appologies to corp folk on another thread for grouping all corp folk collectively after understanding that not all "eras" of corp folk were the same. Those folk I met, received instrucion & reprimand from and worked under were tyrants and abusers. If you were not a I - VI corp person and I offended you by grouping you, take this last appology. If you are a corp person in that I through VI era, then we can talk off line.

[TLC]

Now, I am way off thread here: I made my appologies to corp folk on another thread for grouping all corp folk collectively after understanding that not all "eras" of corp folk were the same. Those folk I met, received instrucion & reprimand from and worked under were tyrants and abusers. If you were not a I - VI corp person and I offended you by grouping you, take this last appology. If you are a corp person in that I through VI era, then we can talk off line.

So 7, 8, or 9 is supposed to be okay, but not 1 through 6? why the "break" between 6 and 7? What's the difference?

And why think that anyone 6 or less should or would talk to you offline?

[waysider]

I just got rid of over 100 lbs of Way books this week: to the recycle, not 2nd hand books or Goodwill; I did not think it appropriate to put that information out to the public.

:eusa_clap: :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap:

[MRAP]

I just got rid of over 100 lbs of Way books this week: to the recycle, not 2nd hand books or Goodwill; I did not think it appropriate to put that information out to the public.

:eusa_clap:/> :eusa_clap:/> :eusa_clap:/> :eusa_clap:/> :eusa_clap:/> :eusa_clap:/>

Hey, wait, I got well over 100 lbs of Sunday night teaching tapes and other materials, what a fire that's gonna make. I'm gonna chuck em in one by one and swizzel beer on a warm summer's night. Looking forward to it. Hell, they are all probably de-magnatized by now anyway - like I wanna hear those rants anyway. Oh, the thought of destroying the voices of VPW and LCM. Let's do the math: that's gonna be nearly 400 tapes, I better get a case of beer.

Sorry, I got off thread, that darn waysider - nope, my bad, not his.

[MRAP]

So 7, 8, or 9 is supposed to be okay, but not 1 through 6? why the "break" between 6 and 7? What's the difference?

And why think that anyone 6 or less should or would talk to you offline?

Do you have a point TLC, if so, take it off line with me or else stay on thread topic - go back and revisit the thread title. No one here wants to see a battle of wits, words and crap between folks, it's been done before and nobody gains anything from that discourse. What, do you need an audiance?

[Twinky]

Of note and off thread, I just got rid of over 100 lbs of Way books this week: to the recycle, not 2nd hand books or Goodwill; I did not think it appropriate to put that information out to the public.

...

Hey, wait, I got well over 100 lbs of Sunday night teaching tapes and other materials, what a fire that's gonna make. I'm gonna chuck em in one by one and swizzel beer on a warm summer's night. Looking forward to it.

Satisfying, isn't it! I pulled loads of books and teaching notes etc apart and stuffed them in the woodburner. Tapes and videos too. Wasn't going to risk anyone getting their hands (and head) into it.

Have fun, MRAP. You are allowed to go well over the two-drink limit :beer:/>.

[Bolshevik]

Nice. Fahrenheit B.T.C. (Burn The Chaff)

[MRAP]

Yeah.....wierwille and his lieutenants had a box, but I didn't live in it. :anim-smile:/>/>/>/>

When they did meetings and stuff.....yes, the monotony was sheer drudgery. I despised it.

But....when I got to oversee things then I had a different way of doing things.

In 1994 and 1995, as a limb coordinator......I had annual limb meetings at the lake. With two ski

boats, we had a whole afternoon of water skiing, beach volleyball, games, and lounging around. We fired

up the grills for a variety of meats, served plenty of food and snacks....and later, s'mores around the

campfire. Some even set up tents and camped nearby for the night.

Heck, I even told people that they didn't need to bring their bible. I really think that I stunned

a few of them with that one. lol

I violated every checkbox from my corps training.....and our numbers just kept increasing.

Surprise, surprise.

.

skyrider, that's the way it should always have been, maybe if it was always like that things would have turned out different (not counting on it since the roots to the tree were rotten). Now, from what I have since learned on GSC, there was quite a loosening of the galley chains (visions of Ben Hur) in those nearly 20 years from my experiences - corp folk evidently went through a transition as well.

[MRAP]

Yeah.....wierwille and his lieutenants had a box, but I didn't live in it. :anim-smile:/>/>/>/>

When they did meetings and stuff.....yes, the monotony was sheer drudgery. I despised it.

But....when I got to oversee things then I had a different way of doing things.

In 1994 and 1995, as a limb coordinator......I had annual limb meetings at the lake. With two ski

boats, we had a whole afternoon of water skiing, beach volleyball, games, and lounging around. We fired

up the grills for a variety of meats, served plenty of food and snacks....and later, s'mores around the

campfire. Some even set up tents and camped nearby for the night.

Heck, I even told people that they didn't need to bring their bible. I really think that I stunned

a few of them with that one. lol

I violated every checkbox from my corps training.....and our numbers just kept increasing.

Surprise, surprise.

.

skyrider, that's the way it should always have been, maybe if it was always like that things would have turned out different (not counting on it since the roots to the tree were rotten). Now, from what I have since learned on GSC, there was quite a loosening of the galley chains (visions of Ben Hur) in those nearly 20 years from my experiences - corp folk evidently went through a transition as well.

[MRAP]

Then there was the trap that the the boredom was your fault. If you aren't excited, you are passionate for the truth. And if you aren't passionate for the truth, it's your job to get that way. Any boredom is a failure on your part :)/>

Yeh, get up early and go take care of the branch leaders property, help make a stupid, non-sustaining familia breakfast and do the dishes, go to work (automotive mechanic), go home shower and shave, get to the PFAL site and clean, etc. then sit through the PFAL you had seen over and over and over and over and try not to fall asleep - you dare not fall asleep - at least don't snore. Yeh, I worked refreshments so got to sit in the back.

My point is to try working that kinda schedule and sit "alert" through a twig or class (classes were the worst). I know quite well that many of the posters here did the Lords' work in a total fatigued state and sleep deprived and then try to stay awake during a monotonous twig or a class.

Hope I am not off thread but in the book of Acts, did not some folks do the daily work and others did the work of the Lord? That's probably a topic for doctrinal.

[waysider]

I don't know about monotony but drudgery surely took its toll.