SnakesInTheTower

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Posts by SnakesInTheTower

• 
  27

  Do you have many friends since leaving the bOrg?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't have many in my physical sphere.

  but the ones i have are good ones.

  of course we share no 'history', since i never had a 'worldly' friend until i left at 48.. in my cyberworld [and some would argue the credence of that] i have found many fine souls with which to commiserate, share, grow.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  bookmark for later

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  43

  Elder Disfellowshipped Last Night

  by wifeofjw in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so my jw husband tells me last night a elder was disfelloshipped.

  totally unexpected by the cong.

  well, my hubby was really upset by it.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  billy:

  Did you ask if anyone else was disfellowshipped the same night? Perhaps a pioneer sister?

  To avoid connecting dot A with dot B, even though everyone will figure it out, procedurally we were told at MTS not to make the announcements on the same night if the two offenders were involved in the same incident/with each other. Allow a week between announcements. An oft ignored rule. Difficult to do when a bunch of teens is involved in something...of course in that case, everyone already knows.

  yep...give it time...and not much... wagging tongues, elder confidentiality be damned, word will get out.

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  39

  So you're out - first thing you did was.....

  by wantstoleave in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  did you 'break the rules' full force?

  did you go celebrate a birthday?

  buy xmas decorations?

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I think the first big thing (other than being here of course) was registering to vote and voting this last national election.

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  27

  Did You Reach Out For "Privileges"?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as one who grew up "in the truth", i recognized that the most important goal i could ever have was "to be used" in jehovah's service (aka the organization).

  when i was a kid i pioneered every summer for at least one month, sometimes more.

  i was the timekeeper for the theocratic ministry school as a child.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  OTWO:

  Once I got there, I was disappointed.

  Like the Land of Oz, once a brother gets past the curtain, all of the shine leaves. As one elder (now long inactive) told me before I was ever an elder: "{Snakes}, once you become an elder, it is never the same for you. You know everyone's business. You know who hates who, who likes whom, everyone's quirks... dark secrets... you can never enter the kingdom hall again and look at people the same."

  Man was he ever right. And the higher I climbed, the more it became evident that it was all BS...either play the game or get out.

  I got out.

  Snakes (Rich )

  ps...oh yeah....I was a former elder, pioneer, and MTS grad....so yeah, I "reached out" for "Greater Privleges™"....jeez, what a waste.
• 
  12

  bethel friend calls me the other night...

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have not heard from this particular (former) friend in some time.

  he and i first met back around 1986-7 at pioneer school in his hometown.

  we were both young ms's with dreams of bethel.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  thanks for the encouragement and kind words...

  leavingwt...true..it doesn't matter how many supposed "good times" we had...leaving the Borg utters all of that null and void, as if it never existed...

  ...one can only hope that the mere fact that somone as supposedly strong in the Truth™ as I was leaves, maybe it will plant a seed...

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  12

  bethel friend calls me the other night...

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have not heard from this particular (former) friend in some time.

  he and i first met back around 1986-7 at pioneer school in his hometown.

  we were both young ms's with dreams of bethel.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I have not heard from this particular (former) friend in some time. He and I first met back around 1986-7 at pioneer school in his hometown. We were both young MS's with dreams of Bethel. During the two weeks of pioneer school, we found we had a common interest in jazz, blues and good food. Almost immediately after pioneer school, he was accepted into Bethel. he was probably around 20 at the time. He has spent, essentially, his entire adult life at Bethel, first at Brooklyn, then a few years ago was transferred out to Walkill (I no longer call it "The Farm" as there is not a lot of farming happening anymore, other than the raising of bull$hit on the printing presses, but I digress).

  As I mentioned, I haven't heard from him...probably at least 2 years...the time that I have been away from JW meetings. He called me to let me know about a prominent circuit elder that died in this circuit. I was saddened to hear that because I thought this elder was, for an elder at least, a decent guy. He was on the assembly hall committee and a substitute CO. Retired, pioneering.

  Of course, after discussing that for a few minutes, he wants to know what is going on with me. Apparently he has not heard that I am no longer active. Hmmm... that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy...my name is not being brought up in conversations....just the way I like it.

  I let him know I am engaged. He congratulates me, then asks the question... you know it..... wait for it...wait....

  "What congregation is she in?"

  HellO!.... Not, what is her name, what does she look like, where did you meet her...but What FREAKING CONGREGATION IS SHE IN?

  le sigh. Snakes: "She is not in any...I didn't meet her at a KH or assembly...I met her at the cafe in town... oh...by the way, you did hear I haven't been to a meeting in over 2 years, right?" BethelLifer™: "no...i am soooo sorry to hear it...can I ask why not?"

  Now, at this point, I could be honest, as my fiancee is always telling me to be ("um...it's utter BS.") ...or....knowing I am talking to a BetheLifer™, say "well, I am not DF, but there are things right now that I cannot go along with." yeah yeah, I know...weasel way out.

  You see, what difference does it make? Over the 20 years of our "friendship" all we ever did was talk about JW stuff, with a sprinking of other interests. When he came to town, it was always for a DC. I would drive 90 minutes to visit him and attend part of their DC ...afterwards going to his parents house and eating dinner. Other than that....it was pretty hollow.

  Knowing that I am talking to a BetheLifer™, I kinda feel bad for him. His days are 44 hours a week of drudgery at Bethel working a regular job in which he gets no pay, no Worker's Compensation, no Unemployment benefits if they suddenly lay him off reassign him to special pioneer work, he has not contributed a dime to Social Security since 1987 (the last time he held a secular job), no retirement, no pension, no health insurance...nothing. He may be one of the lucky ones...Bethell sent him to school for more training on electronics repair...so he may have a shot in hell at a half way decent job when they lay his sorry ass off at age 45-50..right before he is too old and sick to be of use to the Society any more.

  BetheLifer's™ tone of voice changed when I told him I don't go and don't plan on going back. He sounded sad, depressed. I, on the other hand, sounded upbeat, happy, not depressed...probably for the first time since he knew me. I said to BetheLifer™, "BL, I am sorry to throw a wet blanket on you like that...I thought you knew.... " He hadn't heard....so what was supposed to be a mere phone call letting me know about someone we knew having died, it turned into this revelation about his old pioneer buddy being inactive and not going back to the KH.

  I figure BetheLifer™ will tell his pioneer/elder dad back home, next month at the pioneer meeting his dad will relate it to a pioneer we all knew, she will tell her sister who was in my old congo, she will relate it to the PO COBOE, who will tell his elder/secretary dad (JackAss...my old nemesis)...and he will go nosing around...at least, that is the way that grape vine usually worked before... heh heh

  I figure by then that I will have the Haloween decorations on the front porch. LOL

  There you go.... I don't know or care where the conversation with BetheLifer™ goes next...it is not my life anymore. I exchanged it for a new one.

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  14

  Half full or Half empty?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am watching it rain the proverbial 'cats and dogs' outside today.

  the old song about 'rainy days and mondays always get me down' is playing in my head involuntarily.. still, i am finding the 'half fullness' in this beautiful act of nature.

  without the water cycle, life would not exist, would it?

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  SnakesInTheTower

  AK-Jeff...you must be getting the rain we had here last night.... I love the rain and the thunder...I even have a CD of thunderstorms...puts me right to sleep...

  If I had a covered porch, I would have sat outside last night and just enjoyed the cleansing smell....

  Snakes (Rich )
• 
  44

  How Much WT Literature is Still in Your Life?

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  especially those that no longer go to any meetings, but even those that still go- how much wt literature do you read or scan over?.

  blondie does her weekly study article comments.

  flipper started commenting on articles in upcoming issues.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I gave away some of it here.

  I burned the last container the other day.

  Looking at my bookshelf, the only WT related literature I still have is a couple of NWT bibles and my MTS binder with all the references printed out... don't know why I haven't tossed it.... it is old light now anyway.... lol..

  So, essentially...N O N E ....unless you include the occasional Kool-Aid Edition of the Watchtower that my JW mom mails me...which is immediately fed to the shredder and properly recycled (soon to be recycled into bedding for the 8 year-old's hamster.)

  What a relief to finally be rid of it all. As I was feeding the last of it into the fire a week or so ago, I reflected on how much time I wasted "studying" that crap, highlighting it, taking notes, writing and practicing talks, etc. I have so much more time these days to read what I want, do what I want, find other opportunities...all because I got rid of that crap.

  Oh...an excellent book on eliminating clutter (JW and otherwise) from your life is called Clutter Control by Jeff Campbell (ISBN 0-440-50339-6)..I bought it back in 1992 and it has been my guide to living all this time...I went back and reread it...I may have to post a topic on the subject of clutter.

  Snakes (Rich )
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  2

  Anyone near South Hadley, MA? Need info on the area.

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no, i don't live there.

  my fiancee's 23 year old daughter just started university at mt.

  holyoke on a near full-ride scholarship.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  mimimimi:

  Universities usually have a student worker program.

  that doesn't seem to be working out. honestly, with her course load, I dont see how she is going to be able to work much anyway. I am going to check into some merchandising/mystery shop jobs out her way. believe it or not, some of the mystery shop work is legit...I have done it and never charged a fee.

  Snakes (rich )
• 
  2

  Anyone near South Hadley, MA? Need info on the area.

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no, i don't live there.

  my fiancee's 23 year old daughter just started university at mt.

  holyoke on a near full-ride scholarship.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  No, I don't live there. My fiancee's 23 year old daughter just started university at Mt. Holyoke on a near full-ride scholarship. Smart, talented girl...she worked very hard to get to that point.

  though she has some money saved as a small buffer, and she lives on campus, meals included..she is in no danger of being homeless.....Problem is she is kind of panicking.... She needs a PT gig to take care of incidentals. Her mom agreed to send her $100 month until she finds that job (it may seem small, but that puts a bit of a strain on her budget).... the daughter does not have a car anymore (sold it before leaving to save money) and has to rely on public transportation and friends for rides....

  I have never been to MA and have no idea what is available in the job market and the transit system.

  I ask because the more the daughter panics the more my fiancee is stressed ...which does not translate well around here. I am being patient with both... the daughter has had it waaay too good in my opinion.... the bubble wrap has come off and she is away from home for the first time...... welcome real world.

  Any suggestions, either from MA people or just in general on how to help the both of them? PM me if there are specifics that shouldn't be posted... otherwise, I will just check back here .... thanks in advance...

  Snakes (Rich )