TheHighWay

Actually, I loved the auditorium at first... I thought it was beautiful. I was excited about the potential and thought it meant the ministry was really moving up and out. (Of course I felt sorry for the poor schlubs who had to keep all those brass railings clean and shiny!!!) I started disliking it when we had corps nights there. Seated every-other seat, no place to put your books. Little wooden lap trays to write on. What a mess. I liked it less when some of us would get placed in way productions for special occasions. By then, the attitudes and arrogance were rampant and instead of the usual "performers comeraderie" I was used to finding, we newbies were treated like a nuisance. And I really hated the auditorium when the obligatory 250 mile radius kicked in. We were already trying to get to HQ a few times a year just because we liked the trip, and liked seeing HQ folks that we knew. But to be told you HAD to go, and when, and who you had to travel with, and where you could stop, and no you can't go early to visit old friends, and no you can't stay late because "everyone" needs to leave now, and your family will be blessed even if your kid is crabby for the next two school days for lack of good sleep... just to hear a teaching you would get two days later in the mail was ridiculous!!! outofdafog, I'm with you... I can't even believe I did that!!

Ahhh, Skyrider, the memories!!! See, you fail to take into account that a good percentage of the men and women in those lines were trained way corps... we were used to having short breaks, too much to do, and long lines. What you do is, make a bee-line for the concessions, then head to the bathroom line and eat/drink while waiting your turn. By the time you get in the door, you can throw your trash out in the conveniently placed cans. Now, if you are a smoker... that's another story. You have to make choices. You either smoke and eat and don't pee, or you smoke a few puffs and wait in the bathroom line. Don't know many who could fit all three into a twi break.

Bramble... I like the idea of video sales on the theater production!! Krysilis... I love the idea of helping people get their spring work done! Yes, we have to buy clothes for my child as well. Part of what this group does is try to provide people from other nations an experience with Americans that is not so stereotypical. So, the kids don't have to wear dress clothes (thank goodness!) but lots of khakis, the right size jeans, and no rips, tears, or brightly colored messages on the shirts. (okay, that eliminates his whole wardrobe!) Not sure yet if he's gonna be allowed to wear his green chucks. --------------------------------------- Bramble... let us know where we can send donations for your cause. If anyone wants to buy an Australian cookbook (all Australian recipes) PT me. It's available in book form or CD.

Oh man... I'll be in Chicago the weekend of April 9-11th but I'll be long gone by the time you all get together and party. Darn! (have fun, though!!) Hey Belle... SC? Just tell me when and where!!

Bramble... I would love to hear what your group is doing to raise money. Ours has done: grocery bagging, raffles, candy sales, and letters asking for corporate sponsorships... This has gotten us to the half-way mark. Still to come: a rummage sale, pancake breakfast, cookbook sales, and basket bingo. We also considered a school dance, parent's night out sitting service, take-out spaghetti dinner, and working at a local venue in the concessions stand for a percentage of the profits, but couldn't follow-through on these ideas for various reasons. Maybe some of these ideas can help your efforts.

Bramble... I can totally relate, as the proud mom of a kid who was nominated to be a student ambassador to another country this summer... the cost is astronomical, but how can I say "no" to such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him? Just call me the fund-raising queen.

Jay... I find some of your observations a bit harsh but I'll chalk it up to your lack of personal involvement with twi... the more you have allowed twi into your life, the more you have to get over. Some of us were deeply involved for 20 years or more. That means we have a lot of baggage to unload. And many folks didn't get started until recently. But I can see how to you, a bit of an outsider, it might seem overly dramatic. I'm curious what age you were when your parents were involved. I agree that most people in a group become sheep. (A person is smart. People are dumb, dangerous, panicky, stupid animals and you know it.--MIB) But this quote about your parents: "they were suckered in by these leeches-of-fashion at a vulnerable time in their lives" applies to a great many of us who got involved in twi. When you are vulnerable and you trust the wrong people, it can be very difficult to recognize your error and get yourself out. Consider your family lucky that your parents only stayed a few years.

I am also from the generation who had to shower nekked with all the rest of the gals starting in Jr. High. The ROA showers just weren't a big deal to me. Until.... One of the last times I was there, I was using one of the lockers near the edge of the tent and suddenly there was a bright flash of light at about ground level. It dawned on me that some little perve had snuck to the edge of the tent and stuck his camera in and snapped off a shot. I was really upset about it, especially when those working the showers didn't seem to think it was a big deal. (Actually, they acted like I had imagined the whole thing.) But then I realized, this poor dude got nothing more than a shot of a bunch of old, fat nekked gals with over-used mom parts (I wasn't the only one standing there) so the joke was on them. I hardly think that's what they were hoping for!!

I don't suppose anyone out there has a copy of an 18th corps group photo? I have no idea what's happened to mine, but I would love to have a copy again. Thanks.

Shellon, The world needs more "buttinski" moms like you!!! I'm sorry to hear your school's administration is so unreasonable. You'd think they would jump at the chance to get a staff member who CARES.

It sounds to me like the program is not being handled right at your school. My son went through the points/rewards thingie, too and he had a couple of times when he got frustrated for not making his points. But before I could even talk to the teacher, my son reported that the teacher approached him to adjust the reading level and expectations to better suit his needs. By his account, she did this with all the kids, to ensure that they were excited and challenged by what they were reading but not overwhelmed. After that, he loved the program. I'm really sorry your experience has been a bad one.

Thank you for your very kind thoughts about the corps. Yeah, I did go in wanting to do better for God and to help others. It's good to be reminded of that again. It's regretable that it's not what I got out of the program. (not by a long shot!)

I can't say positively they are from twi, but boy, that name rings a bell... where's Radar?? I bet she'd know for sure. No question twi supported wholistic medicine. What was the fella's name who opened a clinic in Seattle, where VP went to the dedication? Is he still practicing? (I know he's no longer with der way, he left with POP.)

When I took my wedding vows I had a strong belief that it was for life. And I also believed that my vow was MY vow, ie not dependent on what my partner did regarding his vow. Flash forward almost 20 years, after said partner has broken his vows just about every way possible, and I finally wake up to the fact that my spouse is using the grace of God to do whatever he wants, while using my integrity to my vow to hold me in bondage. I figure any kind of good God never meant marriage to be this way, and get a divorce. I figure he broke the contract between us, with no remorse. Legally, I'm free to walk. Yet, my ex says that no matter how badly he was behaving, I took a vow TO God to hold to the marriage. I say, I took a vow TO my husband BEFORE God. And God saw the vow being taken, and God saw the vow being broken over and over and over again by my ex, and God saw me giving him chance after chance, and doing everything in my power to help him get his act together, and if there really is a God, and if he really is all about love, he wouldn't expect me to be punished for the rest of my life for something someone else is doing. Any kind of just God would not expect a lawful person to be held to a contract unknowningly made with an unlawful person. Point to any Biblical record you like to justify your belief that he would, it simply makes no sense to me, and I ain't buyin' it.

Hammeroni said the little way-nazi was, "always looking for something to 'get you in trouble' for.... I remember those days... how the heck did we survive such hyper-critical environments? My husband, my leadership, my fellow twi's... they were ALWAYS looking for something I (or someone in my family) did wrong. I lived in constant fear of getting in trouble. So much so, that I was always putting myself through hell to make sure I hadn't screwed something up. (Funny, they always found "things" anyway.) My ex didn't threaten to call leadership on me, but he did feel compelled to check every last decision with them (because we had been chewed out a few times for not checking with them). Frankly that wasn't much different from being "reported on". No, the really sad and scarey thing was that my ex genuinely believed that what TWI was doing WAS the way of a father with his children, and treated our kid that way: expecting him to pre-think his every move in order to avoid any negatives in his life (like a spilled glass of juice), and then chewing him out for any little thing that wasn't just right. I literally had a teacher tell me (after he knew we were getting a divorce) "Pardon me for saying this, but I hate that man... he squeezes all the joy out of that kid." I told them no apology was necessary. Seeing that for myself had been a big factor in my telling him and twi to take a hike. Funny, I had to see it happening to my child, before I realized that's what had been happening to me for years.

Agreed... Million Dollar Baby was NOT the best movie nominated!! And what's with all the angst coming from Clint these past few years? Unforgiven and Mystic River were, in my humble opinion, the most "downer" of movies! I couldn't understand why everyone raved. It reminded me of the highly negative stories we had to read in school as kids... you know, the ones tagged as "classic" and "brilliant" that were about people with no hope. Guess some people think emotions are only good if they are grief, dispair, hate or anger???

Pirate... thank you for your post!! Honestly, if there is evidence on both sides of the question of whether Barrie was a pedophile, I admit I am inclined to think, "It's highly possible, given the times in which he lived, and knowing that many, many child-infatuated men are predators." (kinda like my thinking about Michael Jackson... I don't think he definately IS, I just think there is an awful lot of red flags... certainly enough to investigate) And if even his "authoritative" biographer admits he was "asexual", it still raises some questions. Enough to discuss the matter. But I find it highly disturbing that people would blatantly manufacture evidence that he was a predator. That certainly points to an agenda on their part, and makes me want to give Barrie the benefit of the doubt. (kinda like the questions being raised about the apparently lawsuit-happy folks who are accusing MJ of molestation) All I can say is, if I've bought into someone's propaganda machine, I'm sorry everyone. Thanks for the clarification.

Oh, by the way, this quote is from the PBS.org website: Barrie's boy-love disturbs the modern reader in ways that the vast majority of Edwardians would not have even had the language to articulate. Instead, a huge Edwardian audience loved Peter Pan for its celebration of the triumphs of joyful youth. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/railwa...barrie_bio.html) And if you read this bio, you can clearly see a disturbed person who came from an upsetting upbringing, and clearly had a negative impact on those around him. http://barrie.thefreelibrary.com/ Sorry... just trying to defend myself here.

Dan, you assume an awful lot... I didn't get to read your original post so I have no idea what you actually said that needed toning down, but I didn't "want" to find anything but the truth... if I've stumbled across a lie, then I posted it in innocence. My apologies. As to the site the information is listed on, yes, I agree, its possible they twisted the info to suit their own interests. Or perhaps, they are the only ones honest enough to admit the truth? I really don't know. Do you know for sure? My interest was to give folks a heads-up. Again, if I did so with the wrong information, I heartily apologize.

Big heart. Big smile. 18th corps. I've pictured her for a while now but couldn't bring her name to mind until now. Anyone know her whereabouts or twi-status? In/Out?

Eagle, I had a similar situation... worked for a couple of years for a big-wig local wayfer. He and his partner told me in person several times how wonderful they thought my work was. (Stupidly, I never had them put it in writing... didn't think I'd be needing it.) Anyway, I found myself suddenly booted from twi, and a message was left on my answering machine the very next day saying they no longer needed my services!! I wrote a very professional letter asking for written references on my work, since I would be needing to find employement elsewhere. I got nothing. Zip. After that I didn't even list them as a reference on applications because I was concerned about what they might say to potential employers. The hypocrasy still just burns me up.

Six years ago ... it happened Five years ago ... I heard about it Four years ago ... I left over it Three years ago ... I learned how to relax again Two years ago ... I bought my first house (ever) One year ago ... I learned how to treat myself without guilt Today ... despite the ups and downs of real life, I couldn't be happier THANK YOU P.A. !!!!

Good memories: M!ch@el F*rt standing at the head table, holding his young son, Sk*l*r, in his arms, letting him "talk" to us.(mostly just syllables at that time) Then pretending Sk*l*r wouldn't let go of the microphone and fighting him for it. Hilarious! Bad memories: When some pompous idiot would get on the mic because it was their birthday and would go on and on and on and on... oh my gawd, would somebody just shoot that guy!?!!

Add me to the list of those who took it for far too long, believing that what they said MUST be right, and what I thought MUST be wrong. Even if I didn't agree with what they were saying I would squelch my own thoughts because I just must not be meek enough to see the rightness in what they were saying, making me wrong-er still. That started changing in the 90s when I saw leadership making bad judgements, butt-covering decisions, and not apologizing when I knew first-hand they were dead wrong. (goes back to what I've said before about putting down roots... you just start seeing more details when the scenery isn't always changing) But still, I took it for years. Hanging my head. Saying all the right things. Knowing in my heart I was right and they were wrong. Not saying anything about it to my spouse because I knew he wouldn't back me up. The only good thing I can say is that during my final two confrontations I was totally in control and it ticked them off royally. I just sat there, looked them in the eye, remained composed, confronted them back, smiled when they said rude things to me or about me... wish I had done that a lot more often. It felt really good!

I had heard a reference that James Barrie was a child abuser, but didn't know anything about it. So I spent some time on the internet and quickly came across this site: http://www.agetaboo.org/people/barrie.htm which contains this paragraph... -------------------------------------------- Barrie's attraction to boys has been documented in several biographies and books: Andrew Birkin's J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys, Fraser Morris's The Death Of Narcissus, and Humphrey Carpenter's Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children's Literature. Barrie took photographs of nude boys, and some of them appear in Birkin's biography. In fact, Carpenter's biography describes erotic desire as the driving force behind the flowering of English children's literature during the time of Barrie. ------------------------------------ Since I haven't read any of these biographies I don't know if he actually sexually molested any child. But taking nude photographs is not exactly "okay". Clearly certain behaviors we now identify as damaging to our children were pretty much ignored back then. After all, the old German approach to children was that they were to be treated like small adults, and dealt with as the parents saw fit. Period. This movie, to me, is another case of Hollywood glorifying someone who really should not be glorified. It's a darned shame.