When I went WOW back in 1974 I had long hair (am a male); I had left the Navy that spring and decided to just grow the hair as a NC state WOW during the summer. After a few months on the field (now around December)as an international WOW, I was told to get a more "conforming" hair cut that would help me witness better; thus, I did have a pony tail for a few months - funny, that long hair did not stop me from getting a real good job that helped my WOW family with alot of $.
So the branch leader takes me down to the barber shop like a little kid - you can draw all kinds of conclussions there.
Yes, this is a man's perspective.
As far as the women in that WOW branch, very long hair was the norm because then you could flip it around like the branch leader - I think you know what I am referring to - sex draws PFAL sign-ups - hunger for the word?
When I went WOW back in 1974 I had long hair (am a male); I had left the Navy that spring and decided to just grow the hair as a NC state WOW during the summer. After a few months on the field (now around December)as an international WOW, I was told to get a more "conforming" hair cut that would help me witness better; thus, I did have a pony tail for a few months - funny, that long hair did not stop me from getting a real good job that helped my WOW family with alot of $.
So the branch leader takes me down to the barber shop like a little kid - you can draw all kinds of conclussions there.
Yes, this is a man's perspective.
As far as the women in that WOW branch, very long hair was the norm because then you could flip it around like the branch leader - I think you know what I am referring to - sex draws PFAL sign-ups - hunger for the word?
WordWolf, you assumme a "he": it was a woman branch leader - read what I said about the girls in the branch and how they felt the need to emmulate the female branch leader with the long hair.
In answer to part of your question, yes, she decided on the type hair cut. It was wrong, my hair did not work in that particular lengeth (I am part black - something I found out later in life). She was trying to play "MOM" - I ended up looking like a mideval page boy: talk about an above the belt casteration.
I ended up just then cutting it short, hell, I was an OKy anyway; needless to say, it reduced the girls in the branch associating with me then - it was 1974 or 75 by then (short hair was a "no"), the one who did, I should have married that girl.
Thanks alot WordWolf, I try to forget about what a wimp I had been turned into by an unexperienced woman who herself had never worn my shoes on the road of life.
As I write this, it's a very bad flash back and I do know what those are, I gotta stop, else, the real crap will be drawn up along with the twi crap.
Memories, the up and down side of having grey matter.
When I became involved with The Way (1972), young people were disillusioned with the formality of mainstream religion. A lack of dress code appealed to the younger crowd. Bell bottoms, tie dyes, long hair, it was all cool at Way fellowships. It was part of the draw.
Two, three years later, there we were, looking for all the world like Wall St. wannabe's, complete with three piece suits and briefcases. How it happened, I'm not sure. I just know that one day, a few years after I took the class, I looked in the mirror and wondered how in the world I ended up in a strange city, living a life I had never aspired to before my involvement. It was the beginning a surrealistic awakening. The relinquishment of individuality and pressure to conform were definitely factors in it.
When I became involved with The Way (1972), young people were disillusioned with the formality of mainstream religion. A lack of dress code appealed to the younger crowd. Bell bottoms, tie dyes, long hair, it was all cool at Way fellowships. It was part of the draw.
Two, three years later, there we were, looking for all the world like Wall St. wannabe's, complete with three piece suits and briefcases. How it happened, I'm not sure. I just know that one day, a few years after I took the class, I looked in the mirror and wondered how in the world I ended up in a strange city, living a life I had never aspired to before my involvement. It was the beginning a surrealistic awakening. The relinquishment of individuality and pressure to conform were definitely factors in it.
Yup! That's pretty much me too. Sort of makes you want to blast "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix at full volume, doesn't it?
Thank goodness I never got around to tossing out all my ol'e secular albums (one should at least keep the covers, what art work). Wonder if any of those vynels still play - yup, got an old turntable but not sure I would trust it. On the road to a ROA, I think back in 74, I tossed a Moody Blues album (Days of Future Past) in the back of my 68 VW Bug; the sun did a number on it - I have seen smaller waves in the Arctic Ocean in October.
Still have a bunch of twi stuff from 1972 through 1977 - some of that early stuff was really good.
Digress once again, I do and off thread, I think my above comments belong on an already existing thread.
I blame it on waysider, he just had to type the year: 1972 and Broken Arrow for bringing up Hendrix.
When I became involved with The Way (1972), young people were disillusioned with the formality of mainstream religion. A lack of dress code appealed to the younger crowd. Bell bottoms, tie dyes, long hair, it was all cool at Way fellowships. It was part of the draw.
Two, three years later, there we were, looking for all the world like Wall St. wannabe's, complete with three piece suits and briefcases. How it happened, I'm not sure. I just know that one day, a few years after I took the class, I looked in the mirror and wondered how in the world I ended up in a strange city, living a life I had never aspired to before my involvement. It was the beginning a surrealistic awakening. The relinquishment of individuality and pressure to conform were definitely factors in it.
I can't comment on House of Acts as I simply visited the place ex post facto. Saw Jim Wahl and a few other familiar faces. Others living there were actually in Ohio at summer school.
The Wierwille coup of Heefner/Doop was during "The Way Presents" in Oakland. Can't remember if that was '72 or '73.
Locally, our scene changed a great deal when Townsend came in the fall of '70. Before that we just met as a big group every night. Usually 100 or so people. Sometimes many more. That fall we split into 4 (if memory serves) large fellowships. I remember Claudettee and a number of other familiar faces in my memory of that. After a few more months we split into smaller fellowships that were later called "twigs". I'm thinking it was 12 or 13 of them.
These changes totally changed the communal character of what was happening prior to the changes. Before he left, Fugit started wearing slacks & carrying a briefcase. And we had weekly services at a local YMCA for the whole group.
In those times there was heavy opposition locally, particularly from a pastor at Grace Presbyterian. He lost a ton of youth to The Way. Prior to The Way I had actually gone there a few times and attended a summer camp with them. I'll refrain from using names, but a number became Corps, ordained, what not. Anyway, this pastor published a little study, authored in concert with a guy big in the Jesus People movement on the West coast. It was called "The Way: A Study in Biblical Heresy". I read it but can't remember it too well. Later, though, when reading the Martin blurb in his book on cults, I remember thinking that he'd taken his talking points from that earlier study distributed in Wichita.
In '71 or so I left The Way for a year and a half or two, so I'll have to leave that period of development for others. I'll just say that when i returned in '73, the look & feel of things was much different. More "corporate", HQ-oriented. Gack.
The only hairstyle that I'm aware was disapproved of was on a younger Corps girl. She came back from Christmas holidays (yeah!) and had had one side of her head shaved from the area just below a "parting line." The other side was still long hair. She looked weird. Maybe there was a reason for it (her baby brother had superglued it? Her friend had spilled paint on it? She'd hung over a gas burner too long? Minor brain surgery over the hols?) She said she fancied something different and (of course) said she thought it looked fine.
The Corps Coord told her to grow it out and not to keep shaving it. It might distract people from the Word. Especially if she was out witnessing.
(I did agree with him about that.) (I thought it should have been a suggestion/ recommendation, though, not an order.)
Do you think local kids get drunk and go to wayfer concerts just for laughs? You could probably do a GREAT drinking game. :smilie_kool_aid:/> :jump:/> :offtopic:/>
JT
I doubt it. From what I understand, you have to be scrutinized closely before you're allowed access to the holy grounds.
Whatever became of "You're always welcome at The Way."?
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JavaJane
Ah, yes... Female Way Corp Hairstyle #1, 2, and 3.
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Bolshevik
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MRAP
When I went WOW back in 1974 I had long hair (am a male); I had left the Navy that spring and decided to just grow the hair as a NC state WOW during the summer. After a few months on the field (now around December)as an international WOW, I was told to get a more "conforming" hair cut that would help me witness better; thus, I did have a pony tail for a few months - funny, that long hair did not stop me from getting a real good job that helped my WOW family with alot of $.
So the branch leader takes me down to the barber shop like a little kid - you can draw all kinds of conclussions there.
Yes, this is a man's perspective.
As far as the women in that WOW branch, very long hair was the norm because then you could flip it around like the branch leader - I think you know what I am referring to - sex draws PFAL sign-ups - hunger for the word?
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WordWolf
He took an ex-sailor to the barber shop?
Did he try to lead you by the hand at the time?
Did he tell the barber what haircut to do?
I'm actually curious.
twi treated/treats innies like children, often,
so this isn't terribly shocking.
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MRAP
WordWolf, you assumme a "he": it was a woman branch leader - read what I said about the girls in the branch and how they felt the need to emmulate the female branch leader with the long hair.
In answer to part of your question, yes, she decided on the type hair cut. It was wrong, my hair did not work in that particular lengeth (I am part black - something I found out later in life). She was trying to play "MOM" - I ended up looking like a mideval page boy: talk about an above the belt casteration.
I ended up just then cutting it short, hell, I was an OKy anyway; needless to say, it reduced the girls in the branch associating with me then - it was 1974 or 75 by then (short hair was a "no"), the one who did, I should have married that girl.
Thanks alot WordWolf, I try to forget about what a wimp I had been turned into by an unexperienced woman who herself had never worn my shoes on the road of life.
As I write this, it's a very bad flash back and I do know what those are, I gotta stop, else, the real crap will be drawn up along with the twi crap.
Memories, the up and down side of having grey matter.
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waysider
When I became involved with The Way (1972), young people were disillusioned with the formality of mainstream religion. A lack of dress code appealed to the younger crowd. Bell bottoms, tie dyes, long hair, it was all cool at Way fellowships. It was part of the draw.
Two, three years later, there we were, looking for all the world like Wall St. wannabe's, complete with three piece suits and briefcases. How it happened, I'm not sure. I just know that one day, a few years after I took the class, I looked in the mirror and wondered how in the world I ended up in a strange city, living a life I had never aspired to before my involvement. It was the beginning a surrealistic awakening. The relinquishment of individuality and pressure to conform were definitely factors in it.
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Broken Arrow
Yup! That's pretty much me too. Sort of makes you want to blast "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix at full volume, doesn't it?
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MRAP
Thank goodness I never got around to tossing out all my ol'e secular albums (one should at least keep the covers, what art work). Wonder if any of those vynels still play - yup, got an old turntable but not sure I would trust it. On the road to a ROA, I think back in 74, I tossed a Moody Blues album (Days of Future Past) in the back of my 68 VW Bug; the sun did a number on it - I have seen smaller waves in the Arctic Ocean in October.
Still have a bunch of twi stuff from 1972 through 1977 - some of that early stuff was really good.
Digress once again, I do and off thread, I think my above comments belong on an already existing thread.
I blame it on waysider, he just had to type the year: 1972 and Broken Arrow for bringing up Hendrix.
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waysider
"- some of that early stuff was really good."
I agree. The Singing Ladies, on the other hand...... :(
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WordWolf
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johniam
I think you have to have HAIR in order to have a hairstyle.
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Twinky
Very funny, John.
The only hairstyle that I'm aware was disapproved of was on a younger Corps girl. She came back from Christmas holidays (yeah!) and had had one side of her head shaved from the area just below a "parting line." The other side was still long hair. She looked weird. Maybe there was a reason for it (her baby brother had superglued it? Her friend had spilled paint on it? She'd hung over a gas burner too long? Minor brain surgery over the hols?) She said she fancied something different and (of course) said she thought it looked fine.
The Corps Coord told her to grow it out and not to keep shaving it. It might distract people from the Word. Especially if she was out witnessing.
(I did agree with him about that.) (I thought it should have been a suggestion/ recommendation, though, not an order.)
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JustThinking
Do you think local kids get drunk and go to wayfer concerts just for laughs? You could probably do a GREAT drinking game.
JT
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waysider
I doubt it. From what I understand, you have to be scrutinized closely before you're allowed access to the holy grounds.
Whatever became of "You're always welcome at The Way."?
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Broken Arrow
Well, you ARE as long as you're wearing your name tag.
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