Pioneering for real

by Giordano 6 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Giordano

  The Way it was:

  I promised Mom I'd pioneer for a year after graduating HS.

  BUT! I didn't say where.

  I chose a small store front Kingdom Hall in Kane Pa, One of the coldest places in NW Pennsylvania. They were impressed with their frosty weather. I wasn't.... not going door to door.

  So I contracted with a land owner to rent me a cabin. Which was $15 dollars per month. Including all Utilizes except heat. Which I chopped.

  But there was another problem....... no toilet./.... I had assumed there was a toilet when I opened the door. But didn't glance in back of the door. No Toilet.

  So I was stuck with the snow covered out house. The problem was that there were bullet holes in the door. There is nothing more unsettling then sitting in an outhouse with head high bullet holes in the door.

  I reasoned my way to decide for a hot coffee and some breakfast food at a local restaurant with no bullet holes in their rest room door.

  Worth the expense .
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  Overrated

  I Pioneered after High School for a short period but came to the conclusion that this was a dead end and the all mighty Jeehober was a bunch of bullshit.
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  GrreatTeacher

  No kid today could ever imagine not having indoor toilets, but my mother clearly remembers the first one installed in her childhood home.

  She was unhappy because she lost her toy room!

  But, she learned to really appreciate not having to go outside in winter in the middle of the night.
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  stan livedeath

  the house i was born in--in 1948..didnt have an inside lavatory--or a bath or hot running water. lived there for 9 years. this was in Birmingham UK.
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  waton

  In our extended family there was always running water. The youngest son was running to the community well with two cans. to fetch it, sometimes after a long wait in line.

  pioneering? pi in the sky. 3.14, running around in circles for 45.- a month, but a neat cabin could be had for 25.-, a new beetle be bought for 600.- every 3 years.
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  Phizzy

  stan livedeath : " Luxury..... o' course, WE 'ad it 'ard . O' course, tell that t'kids today they wouldn't believe a word of it !". ( with thanks to the Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen Sketch ).

  I Regular Pioneered for a short time after High School and it was in the old 100 Hours a Month days, I soon packed that in, got a full time job, and when i was 25 started my pension, this was in August of 1975, when The End was supposed to come in October ! My pension did not pay out until I was 65, and actually I thought the " New System" would be here long before I ever drew it. I am so glad now I hedged my bets. I would have to live in a place with no bath or inside toilet now if I hadn't !
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  Giordano

  I stopped pioneering after three years. My wife and I were settled in and we enjoyed the streams and rivers. This was a good recreation area. Great fishing, winter sports , ice skating 20 degrees below.

  However Trout fishing was my passion. Being on the stream was more then just being outdoors........ it was spiritual.

  So one summer day I was trout fishing on the Kinsua stream/river. I had worked my way upstream and noticed that a car had stopped on the old bridge. There was little to no traffic.

  While I was casting up stream I brushed what I thought was a bee cause I could hear the buzzing going past my ear. Then a Bang? What the...?

  My body understood before I did it was the first time I ever experienced a dangerous life threatening situation......someone had shot at me.....or so I thought. And the next thing I knew.......... was me laying in the mud of the stream. The gun fire tapered off after a while and I noticed that there was something floating down stream....... something silvery.

  It was beer cans. Someone had not realized I was down stream and the ricochets had sent their shots in my direction. The beer cans were un harmed and went on their way safely. I remained hunkering down until A car started up and went on it's merry way.

  I watched it disappear down the road too far way to see the license plate. When I finally stood up and made my way off of the stream. I realized I learned two things that day Jehovah didn't give a damn and bullets can easily ricochet off water...... ( compare stone skipping).

  I think that encounter in it's way forced me to drop the notion that a JW pioneer had a real investment in the JW's. I might have come to a different lesson if a voice told me to take cover.......you dumb sum of a bitch!

  But It was over for me.

  I went home and told my wife what happened and being a JW was over for me. Her response was "I never believed in it so leaving is not a problem."

  Who knew?