I think my husband was a WOW in Baltimore the year you were there. When it was an Outreach City, right? I was living in the area at the time, but was a WOW there a few years before then.
I'm at laleo12@hotmail.com if you need to reach me.
I like Baltimore. I still go there on occasion to shop, go to the Inner Harbor, or whatever. It's one of the few cities I know my way around. Plus I grew up there. Not that I'm from there. But from the time I was "sent" there by The Way to the time I left, I actually learned a little about life.
My first year there we literally lived in the ghetto. Someone had circled areas on a map so each WOW family had a designated area of the city to set up shop. Our area was near the zoo (spent plenty of time "witnessing" there; I still love that zoo). I didn't do anything in our neighborhood except sprint from the front door of my apartment to my car, making sure I was parked as closely to the front door as possible.
That was about the time the city was beginning to transform, I guess because of all the money they were pumping into the harbor, and housing programs, etc. It's still dirty and gritty, but charming, too. Ya know?
I was sent there in the 1975-76 "wave". We have quite a large WOW branch that year, if memory serves me correctly.
Interesting about your living in the "ghetto"; the only place our "family" of five guys could find was an apartment complex near the intersections of Greenspring Avenue and Coldspring Lane. This, coincidentally, is not too far from the Zoo. We would go on our morning run around Druid Hill Park (god, I still hate running!) and then go off to our 20-hour-a week (yeah, right) jobs. Sometimes we would walk through the park at night, which, if you know the area, was pretty insane.
We actually lived fairly well, with only the occasional smashed window or car broken into, and the ever-cheerful "Go home, honky". The guys I lived with were easy to get along with, not hard-asses at all. In fact, I can't remember anyone in our WOW branch that I didn't like - but then, it was a different time, and different attitudes were more prevalent then, I guess.
Baltimore has changed much since I first came here. They're still trying to revitalize the downtown area, but any meaningful development pretty much stops at Harborplace. Still, there's lots of interesting places to go in the city.
I still love going to the Zoo. They've expanded it to have more open spaces for the animals, instead of keeping them cooped up in small cages.
I guess if I had to be sent somewhere, Baltimore was as good a place as any...and maybe better than some. And just remember, it was our stand as WOW Ambassadors that helped move the Word over the World!
I seem to remember a group of guys who stayed in touch for years after their WOW year. A few still hung out together, even by the time I got there. Of course, with all those WOWs being pumped into the city, it may not have been your group.
I was there a few years after you. And I sure remember that park. Not that I ever walked there at night. There were a few harrowing moments when I was temporarily car-less, and I would walk across the 28th Street overpass sharing space with some creepy looking dudes. But I spoke in tongues so nothing ever happened to me. My WOW brother was mugged more than once. My WOW sister complained constantly about being harassed while walking to the grocery store, laundromat, etc. I guess they hadn't perfected perfect prayer like I had. More likely it was my overdeveloped flight or fight response (mostly flight) that kept me out of harm's way. One day when I came home from work a group of kids were throwing rocks at the mailman who ducked under a car for cover.
I haven't been to the zoo in probably five years. I'll have to scoot down there one of these days. I love that huge field of coneflowers, when they're in bloom. And that winding path through (I think) the children's area.
Speaking of moving the Word Over the World, I remember when we were commissioned we were told that Baltimore was the witchcraft capital of the world. More devil spirits there than any other city in the US of A. Where did they come up with that? Was it Poe's legacy?
chinson,
Where'd you go? Where did you live? I didn't get to know many of the WOWs that outreach year. There were so, so many. I knew the WOWs in Towson, and a few from Cockeysville (I think). But I've gotten to the age that names all start to blend together.
Any muggings, robberies, attempted homicides to spice up your Baltimore experience?
I was in Parkville....but I sure remember the Wows in the areas you mentioned.
Parkville is VERY unexciting....nice area, good schools, nice people....I worked at a Wendy's that year....they wanted me to stay on as manager at the end of da year...but I went inna 14th corps for a while.
My name at the time, was Cindy Boydston.
It was an ok year...R.P was limb coordinator at the time. B & A D. were the Wow branch coordinators.
Parkville's the same - a few more businesses have closed along the major routes, but it remains residential for the most part. But how could you say it was unexciting with all the devil spirits and witchcraft covens operating in the area?
I know it's true - because the Way said it was so!
Honestly, Laleo, I don't remember hearing anything through our branch or limb about Baltimore being a witchcraft capital or filled with devil spurts. I guess they didn't trust the rank-and-file with that kind of spiritual-contest information. What a loss, huh?
Maybe it's all that gothic architecture. I honestly don't know how Baltimore got pegged as being more devilish than any other place. Our WOW branch leader told us that on commissioning night when we all gathered into our branches. I don't remember ever hearing it again from any other source.
chinson, do you still keep in touch with anyone from that year? I knew well the leaders you mentioned, though we've lost contact. Every now and then when I'm heading in that direction, I think I should look someone up, but I don't plan ahead far enough to actually make arrangements.
I kept in touch with a few of the folks from Baltimore, for a while after the wow year. But when I left...they all stayed in, so have lost touch with all of em, now. Last time I talked to anyone from that wow year was 1989...the year I got married to my now ex-husband.
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laleo
Hi chinson,
I think my husband was a WOW in Baltimore the year you were there. When it was an Outreach City, right? I was living in the area at the time, but was a WOW there a few years before then.
I'm at laleo12@hotmail.com if you need to reach me.
Hope you enjoyed your visit.
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Cindy!
Ok...I sent ya an email!
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Kevlar2000
chinson and laleo,
You all were WOWs in Baltimore also?
You have my sympathies.
*just kidding - Baltimore's not that bad*
Kevlar - Not thick, just impenetrable.
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laleo
Kevlar,
What year were you a WOW there?
I like Baltimore. I still go there on occasion to shop, go to the Inner Harbor, or whatever. It's one of the few cities I know my way around. Plus I grew up there. Not that I'm from there. But from the time I was "sent" there by The Way to the time I left, I actually learned a little about life.
My first year there we literally lived in the ghetto. Someone had circled areas on a map so each WOW family had a designated area of the city to set up shop. Our area was near the zoo (spent plenty of time "witnessing" there; I still love that zoo). I didn't do anything in our neighborhood except sprint from the front door of my apartment to my car, making sure I was parked as closely to the front door as possible.
That was about the time the city was beginning to transform, I guess because of all the money they were pumping into the harbor, and housing programs, etc. It's still dirty and gritty, but charming, too. Ya know?
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Kevlar2000
I was sent there in the 1975-76 "wave". We have quite a large WOW branch that year, if memory serves me correctly.
Interesting about your living in the "ghetto"; the only place our "family" of five guys could find was an apartment complex near the intersections of Greenspring Avenue and Coldspring Lane. This, coincidentally, is not too far from the Zoo. We would go on our morning run around Druid Hill Park (god, I still hate running!) and then go off to our 20-hour-a week (yeah, right) jobs. Sometimes we would walk through the park at night, which, if you know the area, was pretty insane.
We actually lived fairly well, with only the occasional smashed window or car broken into, and the ever-cheerful "Go home, honky". The guys I lived with were easy to get along with, not hard-asses at all. In fact, I can't remember anyone in our WOW branch that I didn't like - but then, it was a different time, and different attitudes were more prevalent then, I guess.
Baltimore has changed much since I first came here. They're still trying to revitalize the downtown area, but any meaningful development pretty much stops at Harborplace. Still, there's lots of interesting places to go in the city.
I still love going to the Zoo. They've expanded it to have more open spaces for the animals, instead of keeping them cooped up in small cages.
I guess if I had to be sent somewhere, Baltimore was as good a place as any...and maybe better than some. And just remember, it was our stand as WOW Ambassadors that helped move the Word over the World!
Kevlar - Not thick, just impenetrable.
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laleo
Kevlar,
I seem to remember a group of guys who stayed in touch for years after their WOW year. A few still hung out together, even by the time I got there. Of course, with all those WOWs being pumped into the city, it may not have been your group.
I was there a few years after you. And I sure remember that park. Not that I ever walked there at night. There were a few harrowing moments when I was temporarily car-less, and I would walk across the 28th Street overpass sharing space with some creepy looking dudes. But I spoke in tongues so nothing ever happened to me. My WOW brother was mugged more than once. My WOW sister complained constantly about being harassed while walking to the grocery store, laundromat, etc. I guess they hadn't perfected perfect prayer like I had. More likely it was my overdeveloped flight or fight response (mostly flight) that kept me out of harm's way. One day when I came home from work a group of kids were throwing rocks at the mailman who ducked under a car for cover.
I haven't been to the zoo in probably five years. I'll have to scoot down there one of these days. I love that huge field of coneflowers, when they're in bloom. And that winding path through (I think) the children's area.
Speaking of moving the Word Over the World, I remember when we were commissioned we were told that Baltimore was the witchcraft capital of the world. More devil spirits there than any other city in the US of A. Where did they come up with that? Was it Poe's legacy?
chinson,
Where'd you go? Where did you live? I didn't get to know many of the WOWs that outreach year. There were so, so many. I knew the WOWs in Towson, and a few from Cockeysville (I think). But I've gotten to the age that names all start to blend together.
Any muggings, robberies, attempted homicides to spice up your Baltimore experience?
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Cindy!
I was in Parkville....but I sure remember the Wows in the areas you mentioned.
Parkville is VERY unexciting....nice area, good schools, nice people....I worked at a Wendy's that year....they wanted me to stay on as manager at the end of da year...but I went inna 14th corps for a while.
My name at the time, was Cindy Boydston.
It was an ok year...R.P was limb coordinator at the time. B & A D. were the Wow branch coordinators.
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Kevlar2000
chinson,
Parkville's the same - a few more businesses have closed along the major routes, but it remains residential for the most part. But how could you say it was unexciting with all the devil spirits and witchcraft covens operating in the area?
I know it's true - because the Way said it was so!
Honestly, Laleo, I don't remember hearing anything through our branch or limb about Baltimore being a witchcraft capital or filled with devil spurts. I guess they didn't trust the rank-and-file with that kind of spiritual-contest information. What a loss, huh?
Kevlar - Not thick, just impenetrable.
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laleo
Maybe it's all that gothic architecture. I honestly don't know how Baltimore got pegged as being more devilish than any other place. Our WOW branch leader told us that on commissioning night when we all gathered into our branches. I don't remember ever hearing it again from any other source.
chinson, do you still keep in touch with anyone from that year? I knew well the leaders you mentioned, though we've lost contact. Every now and then when I'm heading in that direction, I think I should look someone up, but I don't plan ahead far enough to actually make arrangements.
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Cindy!
Laleo,
I kept in touch with a few of the folks from Baltimore, for a while after the wow year. But when I left...they all stayed in, so have lost touch with all of em, now. Last time I talked to anyone from that wow year was 1989...the year I got married to my now ex-husband.
There were some very nice people there, tho...
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