hiway29

I had no idea Living in Love was removed from the bookstore …. In my memory, it is a perfect piece of cult indoctrination ,painting this idealistic picture of the early years of vpw and life on the farm. I don’t see why theyd want to bury it. I was gone by the ‘fog years’, and certainly by the regime of hate and absolute control lcm it became. Was this part of the ‘old winecaskets’ , ‘cleaning house’, and all that? What a place !

The snow on gas pumps was recorded in minute detail from vp’s lips to elena whitesides book, the Way Living in Love, which of course you’re aware of. I consider that book sanctioned material. That is almost a textbook on how to think, act, and talk like a seasoned wayfer.

I worked for Disney studios for 25 years...after my twig leader days, so it doesn't really count. I recently found out that a coworker for many years was in the way....shockingly still considers himself to be... but the topic never came up in the years we worked together...I 'discovered' the info in an odd FB manner....I think not knowing spared me a lot of dynamics I was better off without. At any rate..I wasn't Goofy..but drew him an awful lot.

Just for the record...the 7Up ad is not real. There are photoshop artists that can recreate, change, produce things that look authentic...like an old 7 UP ad. More now than ever, don't believe everything you see.

In answer to the question of whether it was my choice to not leave the WOW field for my Grandmother's funeral. In retrospect, they would have probably (maybe ?, I dunno) allowed me to go ...but the commitment had been so drummed into my head, on a daily basis, that I did not press the matter.I'm sure it would not have been simple or with any kind of caring. I certainly told the corps dude I was living with about it, and wrestled with it. That's why I feel shame and remorse..... I should have just gone, and it is a reflection of not only the power the way had over me, but clearly a dysfunctional mind that was confused and needed healing....which is why I got involved in the thing in the first place. Whatever dysfunctional tendencies I may be forever stuck with now....I can hardly imagine how far gone I was to allow that situation to play out like it did.

It hit me like a ton of bricks not long ago. I think I was in a form of denial for decades. I was a WOW in California in '76. My Grandmother in CT passed away that year and I didn't go to her funeral because I was 'committed' to not leave the area. How could I have possibly done that ? Just thinking of it fills me with shame and remorse.

there is this by mark frontczak...but you're probablt thinking of something else

It was stated that after 1980 there was no tent devoted to believers arts and crafts. There was a 'word in culture' tent through the early 80's where artists and crafts people sold stuff. I spent roa 83, and 84 in that tent pushing 'Glad magazine' and greeting cards . I recall a push back in'85, where the sentiment changed to 'why should our people be making a profit off of the believers' and it was shut down, which effectively drove us out of business, as who else was going to buy the thing.

I was at an open meeting in the auditorium in '86, before the fall, and Craig was yelling that we should quit reading newspapers. He literally said "I'll tell you what to think ".

Infoabsorption, you may be thinking of the house in Sidney, Ohio. The church in New Bremen was set up for theatrical or music productions, and I don't think there was much room to hang paintings. The Sidney house had a lot of art from various way artists , as well as curious items including the window frame through which vp supposedly watched it snow.

My memory is that the 'cultural center' was in New Bremen. I was showing my parents around the area, and my mother was surprised that the way owned that church building. She said she was a bridesmaid at a wedding there in the 40's, and relished being able to look through the place. I question myself though, as DWBH would know more than me.

I donated

Not sure why I am commenting, as I have nothing new, but over the years since being out, I get moments of clarity on things that I always knew. All of these classes laid a groundwork for what we were supposed to believe and how we were to act. Any hint of thought or behavior that didn't jibe with those primers were alarm signals and justification to reprimand, yell at, devalue, criticize and find some existing 'fault' that needed to be corrected , until you were back to parroting the 'word' taught in the classes at all times. After several years of reproof sessions for various crimes, it dawned on me that I could avoid much of it be keeping my mouth shut, cleaning my room, and appearing to be onboard with any and every thing the way did. At one point, I was coordinating a twig, running a way home, class 'instructor', and bookstore manager for the state all at the same time. Thankfully I resisted going into the corps, largely because deep down I knew I would never live up to that standard 24 hours a day, and had no desire to live in a compound. All those classes created a core group of otherwise 'regular' people who had been indoctrinated with just enough way think to make independent goals and actions extremely difficult.

and anything 'earthly' was wrong.... in our thinking or environment....as I'm thinking about in the context of wayspeak and conditioning, 'earthly family' is a total insult and dismissal of our families, parents, siblings.

does nova's copy mean you don't need me to dig out mine , excorpsartist ?