The area I spent most of my growing up/raising kids and being a JW years was rural and everyone bar none had at least dirt bikes. It was one of the witness gathering things we all did was go to a dry lake bed and day camp everyone brought their bikes, ATVs, dune buggies or whatever.
Several groups of us from all over SoCal and Arizona made semi annual pilgrimages to the dunes in SoCal where we camped for days like a small circuit assembly, we even had *clears throat* ummhumm the Watchtower study there! Yes there were always several elders there and might I add lots of drinking going on! LOTS!
Well I guess it was a small step from going to dirt bikes (when we were young and careless) to Harley's (when we were dumb and dumber). The venue became biker bars instead of camping and just how slutty could you look in your leathers and get away with it, yes elders too. I remember more than one Friday nite at a biker bar watching the brothers getting tipsy (I didn't drink then nor do I now) and hearing them discuss going out in service Sat. morning! I still have my Harley leathers, but I left my helmet in my old apartment when I moved away.
You know I've thought a lot about this, the days of really being very worldly while I was a JW and funny thing is I always felt like I was in my skin while being worldly and not congruent with myself when I was really trying to put on that Christian personality. Now that I'm so far away from the double standards I have to say I love being me, but mostly being free from the judgments of the JW's.
Now days my bike of choice is a bicycle, yeah that's right I'm a bikerchic! I've traded my leathers and heavy helmet for the lightweight lycra and airo-dynamic micro-mold helmet and I love it! Pedal Power Rocks!
Oh and in defense of bike riders (bicycle) I've known a few JW's who were cyclist and did some bike events locally, they were just really low profile about it and of course made sure that the event didn't support Babylon the Great in some way, lol. I got in some trouble when I raised money for Leukemia Society of America, go figure! And the usual visit by the elders about spending too much time training for a bicycle event and not going out in service. Going to biker bars is OK, uplifting and wholesome activity for a Christian when the elders are present, eh? LOL
Kate
