by new boy 31 Replies latest jw friends
Thanks again for sharing NewBoy!
I remember all of the hurrying around we did as a family of 6 to get ready and eat before the meetings. But at least we had a meal. That sounds awful! It was a continual run making all of the mtgs., f. service, etc. etc. etc.
Yes, Mayor Guiliani has done a lot for NY city and their crime problem. I don't know how they get any one to come to Bethel when the word gets out.
Juni
Thanks new Boy. I love your experiences!!!
Yes! You are all so right about N.Y.C, is a completly different place NOW! ...........but the sixties and seventies.............no
My family are all from the Bronxs.........I have been back.......and it is great, now......Clean, friendly people, I would have no problem living there now.
But we had a saying at bethel in the 70's, "there are two types of people that live in New York City FOOLS and bethelities. LOL
I lived in NY in the 70's , and I agree that during the time you were there it was pretty dangerous to ride the subway in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx at night.
And mugging were abundant no matter what color you were.
I was a black kid who went to school in Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst and I was always acosted by white muggers while going to or coming from school.
It was was tough on all of us.
By the way I am really enjoying your stories. There were several bethelites in my congo and I grew to be friendly with many of them.
They always seemed to be tired, hungry and sad.
My mom became a surrogate mom to most of them and our home was like a second home for the Bethelites.
Interestingly enough, none of them encouraged me to apply to bethel, as a matter of a fact they were the least judgemental when I decided to go to college
I am enjoying your stories too. I am passing them along to a friend of ours who was at Bethel in 1974 and 75 (as I recall). He was only in Brooklyn briefly and then went to Walkill, where his brother had been for a couple of years. Not as bad there I think. He is enjoying your stories too.
Maybe I can get him to write something for me to post for him, about his take on your experiences.
I must say though, I ate at Bethel many times, visiting over the years and I always thought the food was fantastic!! My husband worked there several times on construction projects and one time, (1991) I brought our 12 year old son to tour the facilities while my husband and our son in law, a plumber, were both working there. My father came along as "security" for us, and we stayed at a condo in Bay Ridge, owned by some JW's and rented out to visitors. We had a great time, and met up with old friends from the Poland trip, who are Bethel heavyweights.
We also went to Walkill where my cousin and her family were living nearby, and toured WT Farm, with friends from their congregation. The food there was especially good. Our son went away from the tour knowing he NEVER wanted to go to Bethel, not exactly what I was hoping for. He thought it looked very very miserable. He knew he would "die there", and I think it would not have been a good experience for him.
New Boy- Thanks for your experiences. My family and I traveled over one thousand miles to visit Bethel twice, because we thought it was like a "pilgrimage" that we should make as Witnesses, and wanted our daughter to see the Hub of Spiritual life. We did not have a clue. Thanks for giving us the real picture of life there.
new boy....I have lived in NY for many years and rode the subways untold times, and never ever came across any characters like the ones you have described....BUT I know it possible. The tutu story however sounds a bit untrue though. I'm sorry to say.
Hello Newboy: I am enjoying your post.
Lots cockroaches.........we would have roach races......we would catch these roachs, put them in glass jar, draw a circle on the kitchen floor, put the glass jar in the middle and let them go.............the first rouch that got to the circle.....WON!.........the prize was getting squashed.
That doesn't sound at all inconsistent with the Bethel attitude towards reward and punishment, as you've told your story.
Tophat
Every story about subways is true! How many times have you been on the "A" line coming from "times square" at 2:00 a.m in the morning?..........Its is a different group of people on those trains.
