I Have a Commercial Janitorial Service - And Proud of It !

by flipper 64 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthsearcher

  Some of us have made lemonade with the lemons life doled out to us, and it is beautiful

  Mr. Flipper, your posts are always filled with jewels like this, and you know that I love to read them! As someone who would rather do so many things rather than cleaning her house, I have great respect for anyone who would choose to do this for a living (and even enjoy doing it!) Hey, if I had the money, I would be hiring it all out!

  However, I do wonder about the Witnesses who are pressured into taking on "night jobs" so that their days are free to pioneer, etc. What dreams have they given up in order to please Mother Organization? How devastated do they feel when they realize that they have been trapped in a cult? What regrets do they carry with them? That's where it bothers me...but I am glad for all those who are happy and fulfilled doing what they do for a living. I teach music and it is my passion! If I had to give it up just so that I could go to meetings and go out in field service...that would make me a very sad lady.
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  BFD

  I must have missed this thread. Great post Mr. Flipper. I will share a story. My brother who is a year older than me never ever bought in to any of the JW crap even though he was dragged to every meeting, out in service the whole nine yards just like me. We grew up poor.

  He started a business cleaning out fire damaged buildings in and around NYC. He worked very hard and he is now a millionaire, literally.

  I have done Ok for myself but, I struggle to keep my head above water every month. At this point in my life I will probably have to work until I drop dead. I never thought "this system of things" had much time left and spent most of my time getting high. Had to be high as a kite when Armageddon arrived, don'tcha know. I am the fool.

  I always chuckle to myself when I see the posts about janitors and window cleaners. Thanks for putting this out there.

  BFD
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  primitivegenius

  lol the reason we joke about ALL the elders being janitors/window washers/carpet cleaners etc is because those were the ONLY jobs they could have where they would make enough money, work EVERY HOLIDAY AND WEEKEND, and still be able to pioneer or otherwise put the kingdom first lol................. horrible phrase indeed.

  my dad still runs his janitorial business........ but hes getting to old and in to poor health............ is looking for something that will let him have an easier time of it................. but then again he is PO and has to give half the meeting parts every week..................

  wish i could give him the advice to quit while he was ahead.......... if he quit wasteing his time at their meetings he would have plenty of rest lol.
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  Finally-Free

  I had a window cleaning business when I was a JW. To be honest, I made more money cleaning windows 20 years ago - part time - than I do today as a network administrator - and I didn't have the added cost of having to constantly keep my skills up to date. If my health was better I'd consider going back to it.

  W
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  JWdaughter

  My husband has been a janitor, and the guy I voted for in the last election for governor started his career as a janitor. If I ever said or thought anything about the janitor thing-it's that it is a stereotype among JWs for exactly the reason YOU chose it. Not because it was your dream or goal or plan. You and many other JWs manage to make a decent living at it, but you yourself said it was THE option that you really felt that you had in the position you were in. You had a lot of options stolen from you, and that is probably why janitor has become somewhat of a perjorative on this board. I feel kind of bad that it is a stereotype, but it is for a real reason.
  
  That being said, I apologize if I have ever made you feel bad. That is against my goal here on this board. I'm glad you gave your children other options.
  
  Had you a choice, what was your dream?
  
  
  Shelly
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  daniel-p

  I think its more of a running joke among us to laugh at the "JW janitors" when they denounce higher education, or any education for that matter. I don't think it's derogatory to janitors per se. ps. I worked as a janitor when I was pioneering
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  eclipse

  I think its more of a running joke among us to laugh at the "JW janitors" when they denounce higher education, or any education for that matter. I don't think it's derogatory to janitors per se. ps. I worked as a janitor when I was pioneering

  I agree. As a dub, I used to clean part time too, cleaning banks (loved it actually) and helped with my father when he had a cleaning business. I think anyone who chooses this field does so for a good reason. It's flexible and you can support your family on it...better than trying to make end's meet making minimum wage at McDonald's or retail. (done that too) (I am not putting down those that only make minimum, they are working hard and getting sorely underpaid.)
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  tinker

  Greetings Fellow Professional Janitor, Mr Flipper. My husband and I too have a very successful janitorial service for over 25yrs. Isn't it interesting how many here are or have been in the cleaning business. I wonder the % of posters here at JWD who work in our industry. That is the funny joke part...JW's and XJW's clean the world. I've always said 'our work will always be in demand, as long as things keep getting dirty'. And like you we don't mind being the butt of 'Janitor Jokes'

  As a thrid generation witness I too married young, pioneered, worked nights cleaning greasey restaurants and doctors office toilets. And I have always enjoyed the work because my artistic side likes making things look good. I was often used as an example and praised as a fine christian women. We raised 4children and have a nice house. However we will have to work well past the adverage retirement age thanks to the WTBS advice not to store up things in this system....sheesh!

  As others have pointed out, it is not that janitoral work is demeaning in any way, it is what it is, Good Clean Work....no pun intended

  We always find it funny when we run into a client at a nice restaurant or upscale shop and they sometimes look shocked. As If! It is a good feeling to break the stereotypical mindset.

  My regret is that I was never given the choice to use my talents in any other field. We do not really have to develope our minds for this type of work and that is just a waste. The WTBS took away my adventuous, artistic, curious, experience and I'm mad as HELL at them for it.
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  cognizant dissident

  I am so glad you brought up this topic, Mr. Flipper.

  I too have noticed such comments and do not believe in disparaging any honest days work that anyone does to earn a living! We are all certainly not born with the same apptitudes or opportunities in life.

  I know a number of VERY wealthy brothers and sisters who own their own janitorial, window washing, and lawn maintenance businesses. A relative of mine has retired early, a millionaire, from his landscaping maintainance business that grew and grew into major commercial and government contracts.

  My husband and I own our own business and often needed to hire cleaners and window washers. At the prices they charged, I said forget it, that is almost as much as we are making and our business was struggling. I told my husband, it is not rocket science, we will do it ourself. While it was hard work, I told my husband, if our business does not work out, this would not be a bad way to make money. Very lucrative. I think one of the reasons that clearners and window washers were so busy and could charge so much and get it, in our town, is that so many people do subtly look down on cleaning as beneath them and refuse to consider this line of work, leaving a small number of operators without any competition and able to charge top dollar!

  Well, I am not proud, it may not be a "skilled trade" but after seeing how poorly some cleaners clean, I would say that cleaning "well" does require a skill that many people do not possess!

  I also know, many of the comments were intended not as digs at cleaners, but they certainly came across that way. The focus should be on the WTBTS's policy of not allowing people to pursue higher education, advanced degrees, or certain professions that expose one to a high degree of worldy philosophy or power, presitige, or autonomy of decision making. It is interesting, that even the cleaners and window washers who had become very wealthy were still criticized in the congregation, now for being too materialistic. (I think this was just jealousy, plain and simple).

  Bottom line: it is important to choose our words carefully so that we do not become guilty of displaying the same sort of judgementalism and superiority, narrowmindedness that we accuse the WTBTS of. Similiar to "reverse racism".

  Great thread!

  Cog
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  sooner7nc

  I think the only ones we disparage when we talk about JW janitors is other janitors that aren't JWs. I mean, who the hell wants to be lumped with JWs.

  sooner7nc