This is unfortunately not a "whoop-***" story, but just a tiny tale of rebellion. During the fall of our second year in Rome City, we were sent to Wisconsin for a long weekend to help pick apples at harvest. It was a nice getaway for the most part, but on one of the mornings additional corps folks from that area were sent to aid the owner of the orchard. One of those guys decided it was somehow his duty to grill me about that week's corps night. Even back then Craig's rantings didn't make sense, so I learned to tune it out. This guy wouldn't let up and was demanding a response, so I took a nice Cortland apple out of my pouch and clocked him right in the forehead with it. The look on his face was priceless. He was stunned, and more importantly, he didn't say another word to me.
Well , I have certainly seen a few mean squabbles and heard a few threats muttered and some who threatened to whipa some aZZ, that to me, it could happen. But no stories. Not even third hand.
Makes me wonder why the uppity ups had personal body guards~~~ i thinks it had something to do with death threats.
But, a good ole duke it out down and dirty... nopper
I suppose Louisville Sluggers still remain under the bed and one by the door and one on the floorboard.
Everyone was tense when the region coordinator, rev. chitlips, entered the room. His arrogant swagger and the curl on his lips, was making my blood boil. Everyone stood up as he entered...not me! I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs. As chitlips passed through the room, he stopped when he got to me. Leering at me with his beady, hatefilled eyes...he hissed at me..."get on your feet mister...NOW!" As I lit a cigarette, I smiled back at him and said..."sure thing". As I propelled myself out of the chair with my hands, the heal of my boot was on a trajectory course with the reverends face. He blinked once, just before the sickening sound of his teeth shattering. People shielding their faces instinctively, as his teeth splayed across the room. I barely remember what happened next...I seem to recall two guys grabbing me as my boots came down repeatedly on chitlips face...
My experience was in a different time and place from most everybody else here, but using the words "bullied" and "twi leaders" in the same sentence is laughable to me.
The leaders I knew could best be described as wimps, weenies, dorks, nerds, wusses or Arnold's personal favorite - girlie men.
Don't know if this qualifies as an a$$-wooping tale...but I think I may have knocked the wind out of LCM "spiritually" back in '81.
He was visiting in the Hartford area (at one of those big conference rooms at a hotel). At the meeting, he ranted and raved and carried on for about a half hour against the late John Lennon, calling him a hypocrite for writing a song called "Imagine" and living a wealthy lifestyle, blah, blah, blah...
At the conclusion of the meeting, amidst the usual crowd mingling and styrofoam coffee cups, I walked up to LCM and greeted him. Looking upon me, he turned as white as a sheet, and was seemingly mute. I was wearing my round, gold-rimmed "John Lennon" eyeglasses that day, which I guess, along with my long hair, apparently spooked the crap out of him. I'll never forget that bizarre expression on his face, his troubled eyes.
I do recall an incident, while in residence at Emporia. LCM had just given a "pep talk" about giving it all you got and having the killer instinct...the flag football game began...
LCM was in full stride, carrying the ball, when we caught up to him...I guess there was a halfhearted attempt to grab the flag, but it turned out that when LCM's legs went out from under him, there was a massive "pig pile", with several guys on top of ole craiggers, grinding him into the mud... :D-->
When he got on his feet, he was outraged...the game was over and all flag football was banned for 2 weeks! That evening, at our "night owl", LCM proceeded to ream out the guys who had piled on him and chastise them for not showing respect to the "mog". He was all for being competitive until somebody beat him! I remember thinking to myself at the time..."*****".
Till you're so f*****g crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is someone to be
quote:Originally posted by TheInvisibleDan:
Don't know if this qualifies as an a$$-wooping tale...but I think I may have knocked the wind out of LCM "spiritually" back in '81.
He was visiting in the Hartford area (at one of those big conference rooms at a hotel). At the meeting, he ranted and raved and carried on for about a half hour against the late John Lennon, calling him a hypocrite for writing a song called "Imagine" and living a wealthy lifestyle, blah, blah, blah...
At the conclusion of the meeting, amidst the usual crowd mingling and styrofoam coffee cups, I walked up to LCM and greeted him. Looking upon me, he turned as white as a sheet, and was seemingly mute. I was wearing my round, gold-rimmed "John Lennon" eyeglasses that day, which I guess, along with my long hair, apparently spooked the crap out of him. I'll never forget that bizarre expression on his face, his troubled eyes.
The worst memory of my post-military involvement with twi, about 6 months after my discharge, involved a branch coordinator who got in my face and yelled at me like he was some kind of wannabe drill instructor. I don't remember exactly why he was yelling at me, but he said things like, "You better get your head straight with God, mister..." and other miscellaneous "renew your mind" crap. After putting up with 90 minutes or so of his impersonation of Sgt. Hartman in Full Metal Jacket something inside me snapped, and before either of us knew it, I had grabbed him by the larynx and slammed him against a wall. I pinned him there as I screamed a string of obscenities at him, telling him in no uncertain terms that my relationship with God was none of his business.
It took three people to pull me off of him. When they got me to sit down, I was an emotional wreck, shaking and crying uncontrollably. I realized that I could have easily killed the guy with my bare hands just by squeezing a little harder on his adam's apple and crushing it. They knew I was a recently discharged veteran, but because of the shame and guilt that kept me from talking about my combat experience, they had no clue what they were dealing with as far as my fragile psyche was concerned. Of course they all thought I was possessed, and tried casting out the devil spirits. When that didn't work, they shunned me and refused to let me in the house I shared with four other followers to collect my personal belongings. I had nowhere to go except hitchhike 170+ miles to my parents house, where I decided to end my involvement with twi once and for all.
"Little acts of courage and rebellion" -- I know I witnessed a few of these over the years and silently cheered.
When LCM tried to blame a group of us for showing up late to a Way-Pub rehearsal, and one of my fellows stood up and commented that we had tried to confirm the rehearsal time (being a special weekend we assumed the SNS scheduled might be modified but couldn't find a soul to tell us if it was/wasn't or what the new times were so we all showed up at the regular time and were, as a result, late) -- that he had, in fact, called several clergy and stage personnel and left messages to get an answer, none of whom got back with him. Man, that took COURAGE in my opinion; to stand up to Martindale, in front of others, and to point the finger at leadership. Of course, he got his face melted in return and told that he had simply been too stuck in worldly ways to realize that by asking if the schedule was changed, it was really God trying to tell him to show up early and he didn't listen. (huh???) The guy sat down and shut up but I knew him well enough to know that he really saw Craig for the blow-hard he was that day. And so did I.
There were a few times, after I had already mentally left twi but was still trying to get my spouse to see the light, that my local leadership got all over me about something I did that really ticked him off, and I stood toe-to-toe with the guy (who was a full foot taller and hundred pounds heavier than I) and defended myself. He would turn all red in the face and buggy-eyed, and the calmer I stayed the more p-o'd he'd get. Until I'd finally back down just to keep him from getting too suspicious of me or from throwing me out before I was ready to leave. He always made sure these confrontations were in private or well out of earshot of other believers but in hindsight I wish I'd made sure at least one of them was done in public, just to show folks that you 'could' stand up to the pompous jerk and survive. (this is the same dude I thanked when he told me I was mark-and-avoid, lol)
I do know of some come upance stories. I know of some tyranical leaders that have found out "the world" isn't just waiting to give them these great jobs. They spent so many years chastising others, they are shocked to find out nobody is going to pay them to do that. They have struggled to support themselves.
In a certain city in Indiana, sometime in the late 70's, a certain smooth talking musician from a popular Way Band was sent to be Branch Leader. Within days of arriving, he was putting moves on wives, girlfriends, and single women. Quite a few were successfully bedded down within a couple months of his arrival.
His "office" was a local bar that he liked to hang out in almost every night.
Several husbands and boyfriends became aware of his activities and decided to pay him a visit at his "office". He was told in no uncertain terms that his guitar fingers would be broken and his face rearranged ... if he didn't cease his womanizing among the Way followers.
About 1 week later he was suddenly recalled to HQ (so he claimed). Not even a goodbye speech !
Unfortunately his fingers and face were still intact.
Well, this isn't very dramatic but I enjoyed it just the same.
I was a WOW in 1974-75 in a Texas city. I lived with the WOW branch leader, Miss Uppity, on her interim year in the 4th WC. She required all of us to address her as "Miss Last-Name." Now since we lived in the same apartment, in private only I was allowed to address her by her first name; if someone else was there, she was Miss Last-Name. Of course this made me feel pretty lowly, but then she was WC and I wasn't, so apparently in her mind that was okay.
In the early summer, however, she came very quietly to me and the guys in our WOW family and told us that hereafter we were allowed to address her by her first name at all times. Okay, good, you're growing up. This also held true for the rest of us WOWs.
Fast forward to 1975-76 when I'm in Fellow Laborers of Ohio, and getting to know a wonderful young man, the future Mr. Garden. When we were discussing our respective WOW years, he asked me if I had known Miss Last-Name. I explained. He roared with laughter. Seems he had gone to a summer camp that year, and VPW had a meeting with the WOW vets. He asked them what they thought of the current WOW program. One fellow stood up and explained he didn't think much of it at all. "Why not?" asked VPW. "Well," replied the WOW vet, "I visited someone in F* W**th and they are required to address the WOW branch leader, who is 4th WC, as 'Miss Last-Name'."
VPW went off, totally ballistic. "Howard! Why wasn't I told about this?" he roared.
Next thing ya know, Miss Last-Name is on the phone with VP hissownself and quickly becomes First Name.
So the future Mr. Garden told me this, the rest of the story as it were, and I was absolutely delighted. Made a lot of the BS I lived through with that woman worth it. (Of course, she never would have told that to any of us, would've ruined her image as the WOG for that day and time.)
How many of us, in everyday situations, despite our fantasies of mayhem, actually ever hit anyone? Other than schoolyard scuffles I've laid hands on another person twice, both times at a job site and got fired both times. The first time I was 19 and the second time I was old enough to know better. :blush:
Most Americans don't just go around hitting people that .... them off, the ones that do are usually unemployed or incarcerated. Our culture is such that people find other ways to deal with the daily annoyances of life. I'm sure, at least on some level, that TWI leaders knew this, knew that even the biggest ex-football player types among us probably were going to put up with their crap, either that or just leave.
The yelling and intimidation worked because we're conditioned culturally for it to work. Add to that the religious aspect and you have a "leadership" made up of bullies and thugs.
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Zshot
If there are stories like that (and I am sure that there must be).
Posting that information would be the equalivant to admitting an assalt charge.
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tonto
This is unfortunately not a "whoop-***" story, but just a tiny tale of rebellion. During the fall of our second year in Rome City, we were sent to Wisconsin for a long weekend to help pick apples at harvest. It was a nice getaway for the most part, but on one of the mornings additional corps folks from that area were sent to aid the owner of the orchard. One of those guys decided it was somehow his duty to grill me about that week's corps night. Even back then Craig's rantings didn't make sense, so I learned to tune it out. This guy wouldn't let up and was demanding a response, so I took a nice Cortland apple out of my pouch and clocked him right in the forehead with it. The look on his face was priceless. He was stunned, and more importantly, he didn't say another word to me.
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Nottawayfer
Good one, Tonto! Many more of us should have had enought guts to do that too.
:D--> 
:D--> 
:D-->
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TheSongRemainsTheSame
Well , I have certainly seen a few mean squabbles and heard a few threats muttered and some who threatened to whipa some aZZ, that to me, it could happen. But no stories. Not even third hand.
Makes me wonder why the uppity ups had personal body guards~~~ i thinks it had something to do with death threats.
But, a good ole duke it out down and dirty... nopper
I suppose Louisville Sluggers still remain under the bed and one by the door and one on the floorboard.
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GrouchoMarxJr
Two days without a single account...Rats!
I guess I'll make one up:
Everyone was tense when the region coordinator, rev. chitlips, entered the room. His arrogant swagger and the curl on his lips, was making my blood boil. Everyone stood up as he entered...not me! I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs. As chitlips passed through the room, he stopped when he got to me. Leering at me with his beady, hatefilled eyes...he hissed at me..."get on your feet mister...NOW!" As I lit a cigarette, I smiled back at him and said..."sure thing". As I propelled myself out of the chair with my hands, the heal of my boot was on a trajectory course with the reverends face. He blinked once, just before the sickening sound of his teeth shattering. People shielding their faces instinctively, as his teeth splayed across the room. I barely remember what happened next...I seem to recall two guys grabbing me as my boots came down repeatedly on chitlips face...
Am I getting carried away?
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Pirate1974
My experience was in a different time and place from most everybody else here, but using the words "bullied" and "twi leaders" in the same sentence is laughable to me.
The leaders I knew could best be described as wimps, weenies, dorks, nerds, wusses or Arnold's personal favorite - girlie men.
They couldn't have bullied a 5-year old girl.
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satori001
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GeorgeStGeorge
Perhaps, but you do have a wonderful prose style!
:D-->
George
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TheInvisibleDan
Don't know if this qualifies as an a$$-wooping tale...but I think I may have knocked the wind out of LCM "spiritually" back in '81.
He was visiting in the Hartford area (at one of those big conference rooms at a hotel). At the meeting, he ranted and raved and carried on for about a half hour against the late John Lennon, calling him a hypocrite for writing a song called "Imagine" and living a wealthy lifestyle, blah, blah, blah...
At the conclusion of the meeting, amidst the usual crowd mingling and styrofoam coffee cups, I walked up to LCM and greeted him. Looking upon me, he turned as white as a sheet, and was seemingly mute. I was wearing my round, gold-rimmed "John Lennon" eyeglasses that day, which I guess, along with my long hair, apparently spooked the crap out of him. I'll never forget that bizarre expression on his face, his troubled eyes.
He seemed at a loss for words. Imagine that.
I still laugh thinking about it.
Danny
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GrouchoMarxJr
I do recall an incident, while in residence at Emporia. LCM had just given a "pep talk" about giving it all you got and having the killer instinct...the flag football game began...
LCM was in full stride, carrying the ball, when we caught up to him...I guess there was a halfhearted attempt to grab the flag, but it turned out that when LCM's legs went out from under him, there was a massive "pig pile", with several guys on top of ole craiggers, grinding him into the mud...
:D-->
When he got on his feet, he was outraged...the game was over and all flag football was banned for 2 weeks! That evening, at our "night owl", LCM proceeded to ream out the guys who had piled on him and chastise them for not showing respect to the "mog". He was all for being competitive until somebody beat him! I remember thinking to myself at the time..."*****".
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Jim
No, coward. ***** is a good thing.
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bluesunday
They hurt you at home and hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever but despise a fool
Till you're so f*****g crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is someone to be
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Bolshevik
Ahh, who hasn't had that brief moment where you think of heading to the gulag and going a little Anakin Skywalker in the middle of a big-wig meeting?
Of course, I could see the q-tip saying, "If you strike me, I will become more powerful than you could ever imagine . . ."
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Bolshevik
Best post ever.
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TheHighWay
"Little acts of courage and rebellion" -- I know I witnessed a few of these over the years and silently cheered.
When LCM tried to blame a group of us for showing up late to a Way-Pub rehearsal, and one of my fellows stood up and commented that we had tried to confirm the rehearsal time (being a special weekend we assumed the SNS scheduled might be modified but couldn't find a soul to tell us if it was/wasn't or what the new times were so we all showed up at the regular time and were, as a result, late) -- that he had, in fact, called several clergy and stage personnel and left messages to get an answer, none of whom got back with him. Man, that took COURAGE in my opinion; to stand up to Martindale, in front of others, and to point the finger at leadership. Of course, he got his face melted in return and told that he had simply been too stuck in worldly ways to realize that by asking if the schedule was changed, it was really God trying to tell him to show up early and he didn't listen. (huh???) The guy sat down and shut up but I knew him well enough to know that he really saw Craig for the blow-hard he was that day. And so did I.
There were a few times, after I had already mentally left twi but was still trying to get my spouse to see the light, that my local leadership got all over me about something I did that really ticked him off, and I stood toe-to-toe with the guy (who was a full foot taller and hundred pounds heavier than I) and defended myself. He would turn all red in the face and buggy-eyed, and the calmer I stayed the more p-o'd he'd get. Until I'd finally back down just to keep him from getting too suspicious of me or from throwing me out before I was ready to leave. He always made sure these confrontations were in private or well out of earshot of other believers but in hindsight I wish I'd made sure at least one of them was done in public, just to show folks that you 'could' stand up to the pompous jerk and survive. (this is the same dude I thanked when he told me I was mark-and-avoid, lol)
Ahhh... happy memories!
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GrouchoMarxJr
hee hee...I forgot I had started this thread 5 years ago...
...but the sentiment remains the same. Oftentimes I wish that I would have cracked a few of these guys in the jaw...
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crystalclearblue
I do know of some come upance stories. I know of some tyranical leaders that have found out "the world" isn't just waiting to give them these great jobs. They spent so many years chastising others, they are shocked to find out nobody is going to pay them to do that. They have struggled to support themselves.
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Goey
In a certain city in Indiana, sometime in the late 70's, a certain smooth talking musician from a popular Way Band was sent to be Branch Leader. Within days of arriving, he was putting moves on wives, girlfriends, and single women. Quite a few were successfully bedded down within a couple months of his arrival.
His "office" was a local bar that he liked to hang out in almost every night.
Several husbands and boyfriends became aware of his activities and decided to pay him a visit at his "office". He was told in no uncertain terms that his guitar fingers would be broken and his face rearranged ... if he didn't cease his womanizing among the Way followers.
About 1 week later he was suddenly recalled to HQ (so he claimed). Not even a goodbye speech !
Unfortunately his fingers and face were still intact.
Goey
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Watered Garden
Well, this isn't very dramatic but I enjoyed it just the same.
I was a WOW in 1974-75 in a Texas city. I lived with the WOW branch leader, Miss Uppity, on her interim year in the 4th WC. She required all of us to address her as "Miss Last-Name." Now since we lived in the same apartment, in private only I was allowed to address her by her first name; if someone else was there, she was Miss Last-Name. Of course this made me feel pretty lowly, but then she was WC and I wasn't, so apparently in her mind that was okay.
In the early summer, however, she came very quietly to me and the guys in our WOW family and told us that hereafter we were allowed to address her by her first name at all times. Okay, good, you're growing up. This also held true for the rest of us WOWs.
Fast forward to 1975-76 when I'm in Fellow Laborers of Ohio, and getting to know a wonderful young man, the future Mr. Garden. When we were discussing our respective WOW years, he asked me if I had known Miss Last-Name. I explained. He roared with laughter. Seems he had gone to a summer camp that year, and VPW had a meeting with the WOW vets. He asked them what they thought of the current WOW program. One fellow stood up and explained he didn't think much of it at all. "Why not?" asked VPW. "Well," replied the WOW vet, "I visited someone in F* W**th and they are required to address the WOW branch leader, who is 4th WC, as 'Miss Last-Name'."
VPW went off, totally ballistic. "Howard! Why wasn't I told about this?" he roared.
Next thing ya know, Miss Last-Name is on the phone with VP hissownself and quickly becomes First Name.
So the future Mr. Garden told me this, the rest of the story as it were, and I was absolutely delighted. Made a lot of the BS I lived through with that woman worth it. (Of course, she never would have told that to any of us, would've ruined her image as the WOG for that day and time.)
WG
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Oakspear
How many of us, in everyday situations, despite our fantasies of mayhem, actually ever hit anyone? Other than schoolyard scuffles I've laid hands on another person twice, both times at a job site and got fired both times. The first time I was 19 and the second time I was old enough to know better. :blush:
Most Americans don't just go around hitting people that .... them off, the ones that do are usually unemployed or incarcerated. Our culture is such that people find other ways to deal with the daily annoyances of life. I'm sure, at least on some level, that TWI leaders knew this, knew that even the biggest ex-football player types among us probably were going to put up with their crap, either that or just leave.
The yelling and intimidation worked because we're conditioned culturally for it to work. Add to that the religious aspect and you have a "leadership" made up of bullies and thugs.
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