TerryWalstrom
JoinedPosts by TerryWalstrom
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Is there truth in religion
by bola ini am asking this questions due to the teachings, beliefs and practices of different religions..
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What Kind of Activism?
by TerryWalstrom inactivism or any kind of push back really is not about the size of your emotion, your disgust, or the feeling of powerless frustration at the religion.being an ex-jw is about one of two things and two things only:1. being effective.
2. being ineffectiveto which i add: effective at what?1.
not identifying yourself as the foaming at the mouth, demonic, mentally diseased piece of shit the watchtower has framed you out to be in the minds of their captive slaves.2.
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TerryWalstrom
For those who have lost all their friends and family and who are considered mentally diseased the only way to gain self-respect SEEMS to be in finding a way to return the HURT from a feeling of righteous indignation.
The irony comes with remembering it was THEIR own warped righteous indignation which brought about the split in the first place. They saw you as you now see them.
But as natural a feeling as that is, after awhile it will devour you if you don't let it go. IF for no other reason--it doesn't solve anything and it lowers you to their level.
The way to win is to not lose.
Figuring out the way to "win" requires considerable maturity and--dare I say it--"love."
You save them and they are no longer enemies.
Twist ending:)But it's really hard to get there in your head. It really is.
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What Kind of Activism?
by TerryWalstrom inactivism or any kind of push back really is not about the size of your emotion, your disgust, or the feeling of powerless frustration at the religion.being an ex-jw is about one of two things and two things only:1. being effective.
2. being ineffectiveto which i add: effective at what?1.
not identifying yourself as the foaming at the mouth, demonic, mentally diseased piece of shit the watchtower has framed you out to be in the minds of their captive slaves.2.
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TerryWalstrom
pbrow says:
Thanks for assuming the motives of every ex here. You must be a mind readerWe all do things for our own reasons.
_________________
Let me offer my apology if my words came across as high-handed mind reading. You are surely correct when you say our "own reasons."
I guess I meant something more akin to the old adage, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
It's obvious so many active JW's have the best intentions in the world for what they do. Not all of them are trembling with anxiety and pining for rescue from the likes of us.
By the same token, I'm pretty clear on how the very mention of being EX triggers a Pavlovian impulse in the Dub at the door to bolt.
If I go off on them, the reinforcement of their programming is surely intensified.
Being friendly, real, and reasonable sews an approachable seedbed from which later something liberating may spring.
Or not. -
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They Hanged Mary (I was going to tell you about it)
by TerryWalstrom inthey hanged mary(i was going to tell you about it).
but then, i got "hung up".first off, to say "they hanged..." sounds awkward to most ears--even though it is entirely correct grammar!that stopped me.
temporarily.then...i decided on a new title:mary was hungoh, jeeze--that certainly gives a completely wrong impression of story content!
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TerryWalstrom
Only recently has the town of Erwin (technically the location of the hanging) created a fund for circus elephants and another town in Tennessee actually has a habitat available.
That only took about 100 years! -
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They Hanged Mary (I was going to tell you about it)
by TerryWalstrom inthey hanged mary(i was going to tell you about it).
but then, i got "hung up".first off, to say "they hanged..." sounds awkward to most ears--even though it is entirely correct grammar!that stopped me.
temporarily.then...i decided on a new title:mary was hungoh, jeeze--that certainly gives a completely wrong impression of story content!
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They Hanged Mary (I was going to tell you about it)
by TerryWalstrom inthey hanged mary(i was going to tell you about it).
but then, i got "hung up".first off, to say "they hanged..." sounds awkward to most ears--even though it is entirely correct grammar!that stopped me.
temporarily.then...i decided on a new title:mary was hungoh, jeeze--that certainly gives a completely wrong impression of story content!
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TerryWalstrom
THEY HANGED MARY
(I was going to tell you about it)But then, I got "hung up".
First off, to say "They hanged..." sounds awkward to most ears--even though it is entirely correct grammar!
That stopped me. Temporarily.
Then...
I decided on a new title:
MARY WAS HUNG
Oh, Jeeze--that certainly gives a completely WRONG impression of story content! Trust me--can't go there.
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Where did this leave me?
A title has to grab the reader.
If I was too clear about it, the story's payoff would be ruined.As a writer, you can't self-doubt or you're dead in the water.
There is a cross-hairs moment when you pull the trigger on the "reveal" and the impact has to knock the reader backward--if not mortally wounded--at least, morally wounded.Who was Mary and why did those vile citizens of Tennesse scream for her hanging?
I dare not reveal. The 'trigger' moment is ruined.
What was the location? That too is simply a tipoff. Readers are way too smart--they get out ahead of you. If they guess where you're going--the ride is over. You've failed.
The fact that dear, sweet, lovable Mary brutally murdered a man--if not explained honestly and plainly--will turn readers against her and sympathy instantly dries up making her agonizing death--as awful as it was--much less empathetic.The story grabbed my heart and a cold chill went down my spine. It was instantaneous. I was sickened. Did I really want to DO THAT by writing it and offering such a negative experience to my friends?
Why?
Why would I want to do that?And there you have it. My hands are tied. Delivering the story of the townsfolk of Kingsport, Tennessee placing a chain around Mary's neck and hauling her up is brutal.
Where is the art in it?
What good can come of it?
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MARY'S STORY
______________________Mary was not slim, beautiful, or even very graceful but she was beloved. For instance, by children, for her easygoing and genteel nature. Having traveled from Asian against her will, she was always surrounded by men who would not or could not communicate with her other than through enticement or pain.
If she complied, her life was somewhat easier. If she resisted? Well, that had never worked out. Not at all.In her own unique way, she had a kind of fame and renown, like a big fish in a small pond. It wasn't much more than lower run 'show business' if truth be told.
What she did and how she did it was entertaining and delightful. How many of us bring smiles and laughter so easily without degrading ourselves or belittling others?
In Showbiz, you don't have to look perfect. You can be unusual and get away with it. Even so-called freaks of nature could find employment.Hers was a simple life; a life of routine and habit. She enjoyed the company of others and went about her job with dignity and professionalism right up until the day she slowly died.
Let's get this over with, let's face the facts and move on--shall we?
The man's name was Eldridge. He had a shock of red hair and he got the job working with Mary even though he was a hobo and a drifter and no skills. That is unless you call working cheap a skill.
It was after the town's parade had ended everything started to go wrong.
Mary had walked slowly down Main Street that day as crowds cheered, celebrating the arrival of "show people" in town with SPARKS WORLD FAMOUS SHOWS.
She had been with them for years. It was small time but it was show business.
The fresh air and sunshine combined with exercise and a long trek all morning had worked up an appetite. After the parade, Mary settled in for a meal.
That's when Eldridge showed up. Folks called him "Red."
Red didn't care if Mary was enjoying a late breakfast or not. He began screaming orders at her.
Red was just clueless how to treat a lady. The fact he was hired as her boss is a crime in itself. Yet, here he was screaming and cursing at poor Mary. It upset her.
Mary was unable to speak. She was so frightened by Red's outburst and rough handling.
Yes--he was manhandling her now!
So frustrated and ignorant was his rage, he reached for a pointed stick and began threatening Mary.
And that's when it all went mad in the blink of an eye.
That bastard jabbed poor Mary behind her ear and the flash of excruciating pain sent a bolt of electric rage through her body.
She reacted without a moment's thought. It was pure instinct.
A man named W.H. Coleman claimed later to be a witness to the sudden death of Red Eldridge.
He admitted the hobo "boss" had jabbed her and screamed curses. But then, he spared no details of her retaliation either. Red was lying dead on the ground with his skull crushed. Mary had gone mad and stomped him!
A local blacksmith arrived and aimed his pistol at Mary and fired 3 times.
The adrenaline and her size seemed somehow to keep her standing and defiant. She was all worked up and the injustice of her situation kept her on her feet.
And then crowds had arrived and word spread like a grassfire in a drought.
Kingsport was such a tiny, unimportant town with so little excitement--this was chaos and panic beyond all reckoning.
Somebody shouted that there needed to be a hanging.
Nearby, Charlie Sparks, fearing for the reputation of his "World Famous Show" suddenly suggested they use a large crane attached to the railcar just outside on the tracks.
And just like that, in the disastrous bloodlust of small town mentality, so-called "Southern Justice" was at hand!
A chain was placed around Mary's neck and another chain around her ankle. As she was suddenly jerked aloft by the awkward crane mechanism the chain snapped and she plummeted heavily onto her side and her hip broke.
Again she was hoisted in awful agony as her friends and family raised alarm on the other side of the wide-eyed throng of onlookers shouting even louder for her demise.
Reports say 2,500 onlookers and most of that town's children beheld the atrocity as it unfolded to their everlasting shame.
There in the Clinchfield Railroad yard, slowly twisted the body of Mary, as though she were merely nothing more than a fiendish amusement for narrow-minded folks to gawk and gape at.
A fog had rolled in and a steady drizzle set in as Mary's last twitches of life ebbed away.
The chain on her leg had not been removed and the crane's upward lift strained until a loud cracking of Mary's bones suddenly ended the death struggle.
Just like that--the spectacle was over.
The laughter and cheers as Mary's legs had thrashed and trembled now faded into silence--save for the splashing of steady rain as heaven itself wept quietly.
The body of Mary hung still and cold for the better part of an hour before she was finally pronounced officially dead by the local veterinarian.
Yes, this wretched town had hanged an elephant for murder on September 13, 1916.
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What Kind of Activism?
by TerryWalstrom inactivism or any kind of push back really is not about the size of your emotion, your disgust, or the feeling of powerless frustration at the religion.being an ex-jw is about one of two things and two things only:1. being effective.
2. being ineffectiveto which i add: effective at what?1.
not identifying yourself as the foaming at the mouth, demonic, mentally diseased piece of shit the watchtower has framed you out to be in the minds of their captive slaves.2.
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TerryWalstrom
When I first started out writing articles and posting on Ex-JW sites, I was full of piss and vinegar and wanted to "bring down the Organization" and blah and blah and blah.
I was simply full of lava.
And about as effective as Vesuvius.
Just being loud and proud does not an effective activist make.
Reaching somebody is effective.
Reaching a mind and a heart in a human being trapped in fear is very tough.
You have to start each day saying to yourself, "This really isn't about me."And yet, so much of what I was writing and arguing really was all about my anger.
The crunch of knuckles is not a prayer of healing :) -
My (true) HORROR story!
by TerryWalstrom inlocation: bathtubtime: end of the daycategory: horror!________it is a hot, relaxing soak in the tub end of day ritual.it's my "calgon, take me away" moment when i pull myself together.. i'm not a shower kind of guy.. my few remaining muscles require vast unwinding time.the crown of me head and the soles of me feet crave heat, matey!i'm one long, tall, goes-on- forever kind of soaker.. i don't really fit inside a bathtub.
at six feet four inches, i must bend, twist, curl, and adjust for maximum soakage.. there is a reason i'm telling you these details: to maximize the horror of my horror story.
correction: my true horror story._____a naked, relaxed, contorted, vulnerable, unsuspecting fully grown manly man confronted with a sudden terrifying event--for your information and enlightenment--has 3 quick choices available.1.
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TerryWalstrom
LOCATION: Bathtub
TIME: End of the day
CATEGORY: Horror!
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It is a hot, relaxing soak in the tub end of day ritual.
It's my "Calgon, take me away" moment when I pull myself together.I'M NOT a shower kind of guy.
My few remaining muscles require vast unwinding time.
The crown of me head and the soles of me feet crave heat, Matey!
I'm one long, tall, goes-on- forever kind of soaker.I don't really fit inside a bathtub.
At six feet four inches, I must bend, twist, curl, and adjust for maximum soakage.There is a reason I'm telling you these details:
to maximize the horror of my horror story.
Correction:
my true horror story.
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A naked, relaxed, contorted, vulnerable, unsuspecting fully grown manly man confronted with a sudden terrifying event--for your information and enlightenment--has 3 quick choices available.
1. Notice something is wrong
2. Fixate on the nature and magnitude of the threat
3. Scream like a little girly man, splashing, thrashing, frantically struggling to escape the watery cage of doom.
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Yes, I did poke my big toe in the faucet.
Why?
Why the hell not?
Yes, I did feel a slight tickling sensation. So what?
Sure, I popped my toe back out allowing a three-inch long cockroach to scramble out of the faucet INTO MY BATHWATER.
Are you getting the picture clear enough, friend?
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As stated, I was settled into a twisty, relaxed jumble of arms, legs, and angles inside that bathtub. I was trapped with an F-ing monster cockroach; its hundreds of twitchy, odious legs SWIMMING TOWARD MY PRIVATE PARTS!My panicked efforts to escape created a chaos of waves, currents, torrents--ALL OF the WHICH--launched that filthy creature TOWARD ME rather than away!
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Imagine a python inside a mayonnaise jar trying to bolt from its captivity and you've got a clear idea of my plight.
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My horrifying screams must have been heard in Waco.
Marion Crane, I feel your pain.
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EPILOGUE
I am NOW a shower-kind-of-guy.
Escape time is vastly reduced! -
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What Kind of Activism?
by TerryWalstrom inactivism or any kind of push back really is not about the size of your emotion, your disgust, or the feeling of powerless frustration at the religion.being an ex-jw is about one of two things and two things only:1. being effective.
2. being ineffectiveto which i add: effective at what?1.
not identifying yourself as the foaming at the mouth, demonic, mentally diseased piece of shit the watchtower has framed you out to be in the minds of their captive slaves.2.
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TerryWalstrom
Activism or any kind of push back really is NOT about the size of your emotion, your disgust, or the feeling of powerless frustration at the religion.
Being an EX-JW is about one of two things and two things only:
1. BEING EFFECTIVEor
2. BEING INEFFECTIVE
To which I add: effective at what?
1. Not identifying yourself as the foaming at the mouth, demonic, mentally diseased piece of shit the Watchtower has framed you out to be in the minds of their captive slaves.
2. Reaching the hearts and minds of depressed, anxious, fearful people under a spell of mistaken belief.
BEING EFFECTIVE is about the message and not the messenger.
Watchtower anti-apostate propaganda focuses AD HOMINEM because such propaganda makes the Ex-Dub appear threatening and misguided.
WHY play into the GB's schemes?
We are not the legion of doom, we are not vigilantes or insurgent agents of chaos come to visit grief and terror.
We are Good Samaritans stopping to help an abused victim.
Yes.
The people still inside the Kingdom Hall are the victims.
By focusing on our own pain, mistreatment, and mishandling we make OURSELVES the victims which--as accurate as that is--MEANS NOTHING to those trapped inside a place they've been programmed to see as an ark of refuge at the start of a Great Tribulation.
To be EFFECTIVE, we must become the ambulance, the doctors, and nurses, the volunteers inside a disaster area INSIDE the Kingdom Halls.
We need to be people victims run TOWARD rather than AWAY from once they see their own condition plainly.
We are a source of believable information or we are nothing but another pain in their ass.
We have to be more LIGHT than DARKNESS.
Bottom line: if you are an activist you strive for EFFECTIVENESS in getting trapped people out of a burning building.
An activist's job is to help those inside the religion to SMELL the SMOKE and head for the nearest exit. -
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String Theories, God Particles, and Mayonnaise
by TerryWalstrom instring theories, god particles, and mayonnaise_______every morning they meet.
same table.
same conversations.. 3 old coots recycle stale ideas, rehash moth-eaten memories, and wear down my patience.. i could have moved to another table.
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TerryWalstrom
What strikes me funny about these old fellas is that NONE of them is actually witty or funny, but it seems to happen inadvertently!
It's a case of Grandpa accidentally making you laugh.
The Boomy Voice guy talks way too much about God all the time and says really, way out and ridiculous things. It's hard to just sit and listen.
The Crushed Windpipe fella is almost never on topic. I get the feeling he's not listening most of the time; just waiting his turn.
The 3rd guy always speaks as though he's certain of whatever he's saying.
I never hear them argue. They just disagree or agree by accident.
