Linda Z

Hahahahahahahaha laughing at myself here. Belle, I had to read your first sentence three times before I realized you weren't saying you were pi$$ed at Abi. I don't know how your father did it for 30 years, dooj. I was a caseworker for the county welfare system here in Cleveland for almost 2 years, and that was all I could take. Not so much because of the clients, but because of the system. It was just too frustrating. The thing that bugged me the most about the system was that people who tried to get into training programs were often given the runaround for so long that they finally gave up. Granted, this was a long time ago, and hopefully things have gotten better, but seriously, I'd have a father come in and ask to enroll in a training program. His case file would show that he'd been in 3 or 4 times already with the same request and nothing had been done. At that point, most people would just resign themselves to staying on welfare! As for abuse of the system, I saw more abuse within the system than from the clients (although I know that certainly happens, too). For example, two nephews of politicians "worked" in our department with some kind of high-falutin' titles and private cubicles away from the rest of us (we were in a huge room with rows and rows of desks, without cubicles even...so much for privacy and dignity for the clients). These two young guys would stroll in at 9:30 or 10 (starting time was 8), read the paper, go get coffee, leave early for a 2-hour lunch, and then call it a day about 3 pm. And I'm sure they made waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more money than I did. It was my job to review clients' eligibility and troubleshoot anything that had to do with their checks, food stamps, etc. For the eligibility reviews, I had to make home visits. It was criminal, to me, how small the checks were for the disabled and the aged. They were forced to live in horrid surroundings because that was all they could afford. I'll never forget one elderly couple I visited. The little house they rented (shack, almost) was directly across the river from downtown Cleveland, and it had a DIRT FLOOR. I used to think that if they'd boot off the people who could work, they could give more to those who couldn't. But as far as the stereotypical example of women having babies to get a bigger check, CW's info sounds about right. Adding $60 (or whatever it is now) to the check per month while adding another mouth to feed really doesn't make for a net gain in income. It still irks me that some women keep getting pregnant year after year, when they can get free birth control with their medical coverage.

Kathy, I can't imagine why anyone would ask you to leave, but I'm glad you seem to be feeling better this morning. This is a touchy subject, for sure, and with any touchy subject it seems harder when we don't understand someone's point of view or when they don't understand ours. Rocky, what's the purpose of any discussion on here?

Chatty K, I don't think anyone in this thread said she went into marriage with the intent to withold sex from her husband. Don't you think after years of neglect and/or abuse, some husbands might get pretty doggone unappealing?

Thanks for your heart, too, Rainbowsgirl, and welcome!

Dooj, you've said so well, what I've been trying to find the words to say. This little girl appears to be someone's commodity (I agree, Satori, about the exploitation). She needs time to be a child, an adolescent, a teenager, a young adult...in other words, she needs to learn about life by experiencing it, and as long as she's a commodity, she's not really experiencing it. I still don't feel I'm expressing myself very well. In short, I feel sorry for the kid. I'm afraid she'll grow up like so many kids who spend too much time around adults--socially not terribly well adjusted. She could wake up at age 22 and realize she's been used. Sad.

Dot, I think Raf's way south, like Miami or nearby, so he should be fine. I'm hoping everyone else will check in. The video of the devastation in the affected areas is unbelievable. Tornadoes suck (no pun intended). They are so unpredictable and the winds can be much higher than the force of a hurricane.

Thanks for checking in, Belle. I'm glad you're okay!! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

A bit of trivia: He's seen his shadow 90+ times and has not seen about 15 times in all the years they've been doing this (I don't remember the exact figures and have to get back to work). I wouldn't mind an early spring!

Belle, Hope & John, Moony & Ted, Matilda, everyone? Let us know you're okay, okay?

David, we always knew you had music in your soul. A la, I hate wearing socks, too. Krys, your reason for not using black ink (which I always use) is very logical. Leave it to a teacher! On a similar note, I shred the address portion of every piece of mail that comes into my house. I know it's not that difficult to find out my name and address anyhow, but I just don't like my name and address sitting in the trash where anyone can get them. I also shred the return addresses on envelopes from personal friends. Exsie, the thing with the sponge and the dog dish--hahahahahahahahahahahaaha. Reminds me of something that happened when I was a kid. I came home from school with half a sandwich in my lunchbox. I went out to play, and my mom opened my lunchbox to wash my thermos and saw the sandwich and ate it. When I came in, she said, "Lindy, why didn't you eat your whole sandwich?" I answered, "Oh, because I dropped in on the floor." (And my mom is a huge germophobe.) Oh, and then there was the time my mom looked out the window to see me sitting on the curb sharing an ice cream cone with a strange dog. A lick for me, a lick for him. So Ex, you guys will probably survive the dog-bowl sponge. Hahahahaaha still laughing though.

You're right, Sushi. I think it was the chewing stuff. Either way, don't think you're supposed to swallow it.

Nice work, everyone! I love this mocha color. Reminds me of chocolate Necco wafers or hot chocoloate (coffee...bleah!).

It was my first year in rez at Rome City, Thanksgiving Day. We had the day off to watch movies in the chapel (or whatever they called it...it was a chapel) and graze on all the food that was spread out in the dining room for us. On a dare from my pal Rodney McB..., I took a little snuff. He gave me a styrofoam cup to spit in, but spitting didn't seem so ladylike and I sorta gulped instead. Boy, was I sorry. I was sick allllllllll night. Never again.

Coolchef, I admitted I might be oversensitive. I know you're a good guy, but that bugged me. I'm glad if Vegan took it with a sense of humor.

My ~, it is so good to see your words here. Thanks for the reprise of Tobacco Road. I chuckled just as much the second time around. I was never a bully and was never bullied. I could usually talk my way out of any jam or get people to laugh. I was teased a bunch though. I was short (thought I'd never make the 5-foot mark...grew up to be a statuesque 5'3.5" though!), flat chested, and had naturally unruly hair--a triple threat. But I got along with kids from lots of different cliques and wasn't to traumatized by it all. Eagle, your story made me so sad. I hate to see kids treat each other that awfully.

My son was a vegetarian for years, but probably because he didn't make the greatest food choices all the time, he found that he needed more protein living at the high altitudes of Colorado and went back to eating meat. He respectfully refrained from pushing vegetarianism on me or anyone else in the family. We respectfully made sure that when he was in town and eating with us, we had plenty of non-meat foods for him to enjoy. I also had a close friend who was a vegetarian. I spent lots of time with her, and we ate together often and even camped together. She never pushed her beliefs on me or looked down on me for my omnivore ways. I have two friends at work who very rarely eat meat. Again, they've never judged me or pushed anything on me. Nor do I make fun of them for their dietary choices. Does anyone see a pattern here? It's called mutual respect. I might be oversensitive on behalf of the vegetarians/vegans among us, but I think it's unkind to make jokes like "next to my mashed potatoes" in the presence of someone who feels passionately about not killing for food. But alas, that's typical. Many people can't just disagree; they have to throw in some derision. Vegan, I think you've been quite patient and not pushy about your beliefs at all. Thank you, and please don't think that everyone around here looks down on your lifestyle. I respect you for making your choice and sticking to it. I don't see myself giving up meat any time soon, but I certainly respect your principles--and you for having them. Oh, and Rick: I don't think you're a mean animal hater. I certainly have nothing against hunters who are hunting for food. Those critters probably have less difficult deaths than the animals in most slaughterhouses. I have great disdain for people who hunt merely for sport, though. I REALLY don't get that at all.

Dear Lisa: Thank you for taking time out during your own sorrow to let us know. I hope you'll be able to get back here, when you're ready, to see what people have to say about your dad. He was well respected and liked. We could always count on your dad to be fair, objective, honest, and kind. That's the best tribute I can think of for a man's life. I'm so sad, and I'll miss his wise words here. I'm really sorry for your loss. Thanks again, and let us know if there's anything we can do.

PB and Skyrider, I agree with what you've said in the last two posts. When the emphasis on "more, more, more" (people, classes, money) grew, it was all but over. Oh, and A la, if you really want to see a larger version of the photo with the fake-looking Santa, please PM your e-mail address. I had it, but I can't find it.

Skyrider said: Maybe this will explain why: The time he ministered to me, he just took me quietly aside and we sat on a bench, just the two of us. The time he ministered to my son was at Rome City. A lot of people were sick one day when VPW was visiting the campus. He went from room to room visiting them and praying with/ministereing to them. As negatively as my son views twi (and did so before I did), he's still grateful for that healing. He'd had painful, severe ear infections a couple times of year since he was a little baby, and he was so glad they were gone! I never saw VPW doing "mass healings" on the ROA stage a la Benny Hinn or Ernest Angley, either. How often he did it in private, though, I have no idea.

Kit, Google is a good place to find images. Go to google.com, then click on "Images" above the search window. You can then search for images with keywords, just like you search for Web sites.

I've shared more than once on GS when this question came up, about the time VPW ministered to me after I'd totaled my car on the way to ROA '72 and I got healed, and about the time he ministered to my son, who was instantaneously healed of a chronic illness he'd been plagued with since infancy, which by the way never returned after that day. My firsthand accounts were brushed aside because they didn't corroborate the "twi and VP were all evil all the time" mindset that predominates here. Of course when I told about those incidents, I included the usual disclaimers about "this doesn't excuse the wrong VP did" and blah blah blah. Nevertheless, some here still peg me as a "VPW apologist," which I'm not. Whatever. Contrary to what was taught in twi and what many here apparently believe, life isn't all black and white.

From Edi (our old pal from Waydale days!) on the "Why did you go into the early Corps?" thread: Amen to that!

Hi Edi: It's great to "see" you here! I can so relate to what you said: That's how I felt when I became "DFAC." I absolutely believed no one could take away what I'd learned or my commitment to God (not to twi). And you know what? 25+ years after graduation, they still haven't managed to take any of it away from me! Also, you've hit on a big key, I think (the part I've put in bold). There were people who looked at the Corps as if it were the next rung on the corporate ladder. Me, I was a little hippie Christian girl fresh out of California--that kind of thinking had never even occurred to me. I just wanted to help people, and I heard I could learn how to do that better in the Corps. That's why I signed up for the Family Corps. I really believe that if you ask God for bread, He won't give you a stone, so I was able to learn a lot despite people's imperfections and the imperfections in the program. Sometimes the program was really hard, and probably harder on my son than I realized, but I see in him the benefits of it, too. By the way, I was in FC V with Danny & Irish Eyes and with Oldiesman's sister Ginger, and with the wife of another regular poster here (but I don't know if she wants that revealed so zipping my lip). We were a small, tightly knit bunch and I'd give a lot to see them all again! Hell, I'd give a lot if they'd just set their walkers aside long enough to post in the Family Corps V thread!!

Socks, on the "CFF: Should I get involved?" thread: I can't even tell you how much this touched me.

Socks said: That, my friend, is the truth...a beautiful gem, as are you.