lauralisa

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Posts by lauralisa

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  10

  Whither Maximus?

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  having read-- and enjoyed-- newbie decimus' first post brought to mind maximus, once a formidable presence on this forum.

  i recall that some reference was made to health problems.

  any word on how he's faring?

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  lauralisa

  smiles to waiting!

  (psst: Max's picure icon, "glad-man", is from the movie "Gladiator" which stars Russell Crowe!)

  laura
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  10

  Whither Maximus?

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  having read-- and enjoyed-- newbie decimus' first post brought to mind maximus, once a formidable presence on this forum.

  i recall that some reference was made to health problems.

  any word on how he's faring?

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  lauralisa

  From time to time someone pulls up an old thread and remarks further, bringing up to the top.

  I start to read the thread, and WHOA! There he is, Russell Crowe!!! It can only mean ONE THING! MAXIMUS is back ... my little heart starts to pound with excitement and joy!!! Then I notice the date.

  I sure do miss him, and AlanF please extend my deep concern for his welfare (for Mrs. Max too) and deep affection, if you could...

  Thanks, lauralisa
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  60

  A Personal Announcement!

  by Billygoat in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  guess who just got engaged???

  no date has been set yet, but the engagement will be short.

  probably sometime this summer.

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  lauralisa

  Andi

  So thrilled for you both... here's to many years of beautiful joy.

  Just think - no invasive supervision or monitoring of your sex life! Wow. Like real grown-ups! No shame! You can wear any kind of underwear you want! So can Neil! (I personally endorse the "freedom of lingerie choice" benefit available to ex-dubs...)

  LMAO @ waiting, who never ceases to inspire me.

  love, lauralisa
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  19

  Unfairly Disfellowshipped

  by CiCi in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after being disfellowshipped 2 years ago, i finally got up the courage to join this discussion board.

  my story is short and sweet.

  well not sweet but short.

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  lauralisa

  Plm:

  What an excellent point.... you sharpie you

  cici, glad you're 'out' and here.

  lauralisa
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  36

  First Post

  by Decimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everyone.while i have lurked on this board for some time this is my very first post.

  the main reason for my reluctance to post has been the fact that my job keeps me pretty busy - however i have enjoyed the board so much i felt i would love to be a more tangible presence and have decided to take the plunge.

  i will give more details of my background later.

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  lauralisa

  warm welcome to you, Decimus! Glad you took the plunge.

  lauralisa
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  3

  A means to an end?

  by ozziepost in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i started pioneering, mainly to qualify for privileges like international construction work, with my husband.

  we didn't have a retirement plan, and it didn't look like we would be able to save enough money to live on when retirement came, and some young friends suggested the international work to us, and we liked the idea.

  my husband started working at brooklyn (another requirement), about twice a year .

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  lauralisa

  Hi Ozzie,

  First of all, please accept my sympathies for the ordeal you are enduring these days. Your "heart condition" is in my opinion right up there with some of the most wonderful humans I've known or read about.

  I'm responding to this post because just last night I was pondering over a few things. On another thread posted by flower there is a lot of discussion about anxiety and depression and a good amount of struggling for "identity"; confusion about how to form opinions or preferences or make choices etc. without the "structure" of the borg.

  In the ensuing responses there were many compassionate replies. I also noticed there were many suggestions for things for her to get involved with in order for her to discover what her likes/dislikes are and to have the opportunity to meet other people.

  I've always been curious about the tendency people have to self-reference by the things they DO; in my therapy hey-days there was a mantra of sorts that was reiterated constantly: "You are a human BEING, not a human DOING..." The objective of course was to learn to believe you are of value just because you are alive, and not because you have to earn it through achievements or accomplishments which impress others - providing one with a sense of security or self worth of course.

  It got me thinking of jw's and how deeply enmeshed they are in the "human DOING" thing. I can not recall ever being introduced to anyone or having anyone described to me without some kind of qualifying "position" being the predominant emphasis. A sister's son is not just her son, he "auxiliary pioneers periodically" and wants to go to Bethel; a single sister's romantic attraction to a man is related not in terms of his unique personality characteristics, but in his ambition for "privileges" and history of acquiring them; an older widowed sister who has many wonderful charming attributes is described in terms of how frequently she provides lunch for the visiting various luminarious overseers.....

  Each and every individual in the congregations in the entire world is classified according to the currently available "titled" positions withing the organization. Their value (read: perceived status) to the congregation is predicated upon their lable.

  No wonder individuals who exit the confines of the WTS are flailing about, missing the safe "spiritual niche" trying to see where they "fit" into a society in general, which does not have such clearly defined, easily obtained identifying markers. *(MS! Magazine counter kid! Pioneer! Pioneer's child! Elder's child! Pioneer's house cleaner/babysitter! Parent of Bethelite! Neighbor of pioneer (whose kid is in Bethel!) who gets to accompany neighbor pioneer to special "pioneer school lunches!" Pioneer wannabe!)*

  I ended up amusing myself with the concept of the borg being just like the military with their pins and stars and bars and hats and uniforms and obligatory authority hierarchy structure.

  Then I finally fell asleep.

  Warm thoughts to you, Ozzie,

  lauralisa
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  53

  Thoughts about Depression and Anxiety

  by flower in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is mostly directed to others that were born/raised in the cult.

  more specifically those raised in the cult who also suffered from severe depression and/or social anxiety disorder or any other mental illness (other than the normal probs that come with being in the borg).

  sometimes i wonder if its just me that doesnt feel like a person now.

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  lauralisa

  Hi Flower,

  Your post really touched my heart. It is clear that you are hurting and wish for the hurt to just stop. I wish it was that simple...

  The first thought that came to mind after reading your post was this: you're alive and well! What I'm trying to say here is you are learning to think and feel - finally - after a lifetime of having your thinking and feeling dictated to you. You wrote:

  I cant think or anything. I hate living outside. I know I was miserable in the org but I was safe.

  You probably look back now and feel you were "safe" then because you didn't have any choice as to how to reason, think, feel, experience TRUE friendship, make independent decisions, trust your own instincts, take risks, explore your inner longings or desires... perhaps you have not yet experienced any measureable intimacy with another trusted friend or lover in your young life, if you're newly "out" of the organization... one way that us humanoids get to know ourselves is through deep, meaningful and safe connections with others...

  No wonder you feel like a "robot", flower; you have been been raised on a steady diet of robot-promoting reflex conditioning. You unfortunately will have to unlearn these responses. I wish it took only a short while but it will take an enormous amount of courage, will, and determination to push on towards becoming - well, becoming YOU, and discovering ALL of the potential you have to explore.... (this is a never-ending journey, btw).

  The woman you seem to be from the small amount of reading I'm able to do on the board seems to have a HUGE amount of will, guts, compassion, empathy and character. It will be cool to watch you evolve. So many people who post here have proven that it does happen - and there are thousands of stories that capture all of the resulting joys and bumps and undescribable grief and calmness and conscious awareness.

  It's probably not out of line to presume that just about everyone who posts here has had to push through the difficult and lonely period that you're describing so well. I know I have; it has not been an easy thing to do at all but one day, I knew I was "over the hump" of the mountain and on the way down (much easier). The peace of mind, and depth of joy I feel at times now are worth all of the effort it took to climb up. Times ten times a billion times a kazillion.

  You are not alone, and you are going to feel better, but right now it's clearly difficult for you. Here's a big support hug to you. Let us know how things go for you, please?

  Take care, love, lauralisa
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  55

  OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...

  by ARoarer in

  1. social
  2. current

  when an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.

  we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.

  watchtower bibel & tract society.

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  lauralisa

  Dear ARoarer,

  Just want to send you my warmest regards and express my heartfelt support for you and your family.... hang in there, hon...

  This entire thread is EXTREMELY useful at this particular point in time for a friend of mine, and everyone who has commented thus far have made such wonderful contributions.

  Thanks to all of you.

  lauralisa
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  28

  May 15/02 Watchtower: Apostate/Dateline Warning:

  by dungbeetle in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is just the text of this article, comments will follow in a nother posting.

  then dishonor will come; but wisdom is with the modest ones.

  moses too was modest and humble.

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  lauralisa

  Elsewhere:

  You know that they are VERY MUCH ALIVE. Evidence above.

  Thanks, Dungbeetle and waiting
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  11

  Ask For A Salad!!!!

  by teenyuck in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good for making ratatouille?

  fri apr 26, 8:17 am et .

  hanoi, vietnam (ap) - more than 100 tons of rat meat is sold for human consumption each day in a southern vietnamese province, an official said friday.. .

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  lauralisa

  Puffsrule! Sorry we couldn't "connect" last month...