by billyboy 59 Replies latest jw friends
Quite a few requested to leave shoes at the door. Thankfully, one of the sisters would knit all newcomer a pair of slippers to don as soon as you walked in the door. I still have them.
Same here. In Greenwhich Village, NYC at the book study I was at at the Lawrence's home. I had my slippers for quite awhile after I left Bethel too. -ithinkisee
To some people in some parts of the world. Some of us may find it rather declasse.
My sentiments, actually. I guess if it's a cultural thing, you wouldn't want to offend the person; but some of this (taking your shoes off before you enter my home) almost seems like OCD.
There's a girl that I work with, who keeps her house scrupuously clean; but didn't care about who she slept around with. When it came to house cleaning, she says that she didn't raise "no ho's and b*tches"!? I was like, OH, Okay??
Who was the person on this thread that said that they'd send someone home if they didn't take their shoes off for the book study? That person that you sent home was, probably, thinking thank you Jesus!
I don't like to go over to people homes where I can't get comfortable, matter of fact, I don't like going anywhere. I like to stick to my own little dusty cluttered home; and I'd like for others to do the same. I'm sort of an agoraphobic.
I would swear that when my children went over to other people's home that they'd pick up a virus! No bull, it seemed like it happened everytime. I don't care how clean the person's house was. My children and me are all allergic to cats and dogs. Hell, I'm not only allergic of cats, I'm scared of them!
Back to the shoes and feet...I don't want anybody taking their shoes off in my house because they could have fungus of the feet or some other toe jelly in there/on there.
Maybe, I have OCD??
Thanks for all your answers.
Where I live (Blighty), it is a bit controversial - some householders insist on shoe removal & this has caused difficulties - generally book studies are not held in homes where this is a requirement. Peoples views are split concerning whether it is proper or not to remove shoes - the argument that the living room is an "extension" of the Kingdom Hall is popular as is the "right" of a householder to establish rules for their own house , especially if they have white or pink carpets (yeugh!)
I remember a book study where the Book Study Conductor (is that Overseer nowadays?) conducted the study in his smelly socks with his big toe sticking out through a hole revealing a broken toe nail - it was a bit off-putting.
It kind of remind me of the days when people would share swimsuits! AHHHHHHHHHH!!! Gag me with a spoon! Can you say nasty?
All the BS's I was in we only had to leave our minds at the front door when we entered the house.
Ha Ha Ha!
I found it varied wherever we went regarding shoes, but once we started having the BS in my house I did ask for people to take their shoes off. Not everyone complied and one chap walked in with a big pile of dog doodie under his shoe. Afterwards, I believe everyone complied.
These days, 3 years out of the Borg, when we have visitors, I leave it up to them (I never ask them to take their shoes off). However, whenever I visit people's houses I ask if they'd rather I took mine off. I guess most people (men in particular) are afraid they may have sweaty feet and so feel uncomfortable about removing their shoes - which is why I don't ask anymore.
I think if someone is going to pay good money for a decent carpet the least we can do is respect their house and remove our shoes - providing our feet are fresh
Ian
BillyBoy....I Have to admit that when I seen this thread I thought it was the STUIPDEST thread I have ever seen because to me and EVERY person I have ever known in my life, with the exception of the 2 which I thought that they just had BAD manners, it was just good common/human decency to do so, something that you don't even think of doing that it was a given that you take off your dirty shoes before you enter someone else's house! I have to admit that this thread has thrown me for a loop!
But manners are different all over the world.
In the Uk its concidered rude to leave anything on your plate after a meal that someones cooked for you, in the Arab world its considered rude not to leave something.
Neithers right or wrong, its just the way we are.
My experience was that some Elders insisted people keep shoes on like at the kingdom hall and others were more polite and caring and were happy to take them off. I used to quote the burning bush, where Moses had to remove his footware before the presence of jehovah.
The growing popularity of laminate & hard wood floors has changed peoples views too. Hardly anyone where I live would take off their shoes when they entered someones house - it just isn't the done thing.
It's like this. I do not wear shoes in my home. I feel I should have the right, in my own home, to walk around without getting
dog, bird or any other sort of doo on my feet. If people can't respect that and leave their dirty shoes on the inside door mat
I have to think they have no any respect for me or my home. Should I respect them?
BTW we had a group in our home and we expected
our visitors to respect our right to a clean floor. I supplied slippers or socks for those wanting them.
