Ridiculous trips to the 'back room' (page 4)

Utopian Reformist

I was counseled several times in the late 80's about "shaving my head" and "weightlifing".

It seems the weightlifitng and strict dieting was offending some of the friends who equated my education, outspoken manner, and physical fitness with having a "bad unchristian attitude".

I was told by an elder (whom I still love dearly) that my grooming was radical and did not appear religious.

So, here I am, college graduate, decorated combat veteran, former prison inmate, avid health nut, serving in an "inner city" urban congregation, where I am the only person of mediterranean origin and yet I am making eveyone else uncomfortable.

I distinctly remember elder's children wearing "baggy and droopy" clothing and dancing much more provocatively than children in less integrated congregations. I remember the extra tight dresses and skirts worn in those congregations that pulled your eyes like a 1 million volt powered magnet. If you fancy women of color (as I do) this hall would have been the "Yo MTV Raps" of the circuit.

Anyway, there was far too much activity occurring for me or my shaved head to be any sort of a distraction. Besides, in the summer I tan so dark that I am always asked if I am Cuban or Puerto Rican anyway.
I saw many men of color in the "truth" with clean shaven heads. It was a double standard directed at me personally.

LovesDubs

Early on, I think maybe even before I was baptized, I was already in the Ministry School. Yeah I was ZEALOUS and damn dangerous. I was at that time very slim, tall, big blonde Farrah Faucet hair, middle 80s look, and pretty noticeable. I came directly from work one day to the hall and had to give a talk. I was wearing coulottes. (Basically a split skirt) After the meeting, an elder came up to me almost as I was about to leave the hall. I never saw such fear in a person's eyes before in my life. LOL! He came up to about my chest.

"Sister, um, I must remind you that only proper dress is allowed on the platform and your attire resembles pants too much. It is also too form fitting for Jehovahs house and distracts from the subject of your talk."

I humbled myself and apologized to him and said it would NEVER happen again, but I got GREAT satisfaction knowing that that poor Barney Fife of an Elder drew the short straw that night and had to be the one to go tell the Valkyre her pants were too tight on her ass and she was a distraction LOL!! And why pray tell, brother, why were you LOOKING at my ass as I ascended the stage? LOL!!

gawd...what I wouldnt do to have that bod now hehehehe

DIM

wow, this thread really strikes a cord with me....

once because i wore ripped jeans while i was working on my car

every time i dyed my hair i got talked to

if i grew my sideburns too long

also, growing up all of the kids in my hall listened to some pretty mainstream stuff - i listened to bands like the cure and joy division (still do, actually). for some reason, the fact that most of these people hadn't heard of these bands made them think i was into really bad music.

Farkel

What's all this flak about lesbians, anyway? I'm a lesbian, and I think it is great! I don't think there is anything unnatural about it, either!

Farkel
Lesbian Class

"When in doubt, duck!"

treeny

Hi Esmeralda, Here is a funny one. My sis was 17, and engaged to be married. She was dancing with her ministerial servant fiance when one of the long timers noticed their 'closeness'. Surprised she didn't trip as she RAN to the elders to bring it to their attention. They called them both to a meeting, and said it was reported that he was cupping her buttocks whilst dancing..LOL Guess he didn't want to say Grabbing Ass. This particular sister was always on duty as deputy sherriff to the cong. I remember she came up once to me after I had gotten married, and told me that ,this particular day I had slacked off in my appearance. She was saying how I always looked nice(for my husband), and that I should be careful to not slack off (for him). OMG!!! Like I was a cave woman who followed her husband around, and grunted..LOL. Anyways she was a big cause for many elder's meetings in our hall. Take care.
Terry

treeny

Hi April, My mom got the 3rd degree from my jw sis not long ago about reading magazines like Better Home and gardens and a few other womens mags. My mom was depressed as she often gets, and my jw sis came down to visit, and told her she wasn't praying to Jehovah enough, and reading her literature. She saw her "worldly mags, and told her she shouldn't be reading them. So my mom tossed them. I am going to get her a bunch of gift subscriptions of womens Mags. I know she enjoys them, cause I saw one on her table the other day...:)Take care.
Terry

Nathan Natas

What a walk down memory lane!

I recall the 60's 'ban' on chess. Farkel told it true; it "glorified war."

There was a brother in our circuit who knew a lot about weight lifting, an older guy, a mature solidly built man whose "buffitude" was fading, but he would only share his information with the Bethelites who were living at the Assembly Hall (if they were interested) I recall one guy who bulked up at what then seemed to be a phenomenal rate, and I have no doubt he did it without steroids. But if you were a teenage publisher and you expressed an interest - he had no time to talk.

I was an obediant idiot and tried to stay inside the lines - maybe being raised with no Dad and being subject to beatings from my theocratic mom who told me how my birth ruined her life made me malleable, or maybe I've got "loser" wiring in my head - I digress...

I was once advised that my sideburns were one-eighth of an inch too long.

Back in the early 70's, long, floor length skirts were fahionable with the young sisters, no doubt because they covered all that could be covered, but the Fashion Police had to find something to complain about... so after one meeting the cong. overseerer engages me in a conversation and asks what I think about the way the assistant cong overseer's daughter was dressed - she was maybe sixteen and quite pretty, and was wearing one of these long dresses - the overseer wanted to get *me* to complain so he could use me as an excuse to criticise the young girl. I disappointed him by telling him I didn't have any problems with the dress. The truth was that I hated those sacky, bag-like dreses because they didn't look good on anyone who wore them. Now that I think about it, maybe *I* was being tested to see if I was stupid enough to say something like "not enough leg showing, sir!"

orbison

on a visit to bethel in canada, i noticed that very mag and others like it on a coffee table in a public sitting area, i was surprised as i had been told the same, also told not to bother going to libraries, as i often did, and there was only one book i should be reading

wendy

Billygoat

UGH. I couldn't even finish reading this thread. But I'm so thankful it's here. A GREAT reminder as to why I will never go back. How can a "loving" organization be so petty and childish? I feel like screaming!!!!

Andi

Double Dee

I remember being called into the "little room" so many times as a teenager that I can't even remember all the reasons. Was this because I was a rebellious kid? No, I was know as the "goody-two-shoes" of the hall. I was dragged in every week, just about, because the "bad" kids would accuse me of all kinds of things, from punching them, to calling them names, to stealing from them....blah blah blah. But instead of the elders telling these parents what kind of kids they had, I got dragged in all the time. The elders and my father, would always force me to appologize! For what, I don't know, but I was always the one that was wrong some how. They would admit they lied, but it was because I "gave them a look" or something. So then they would counsel me! Very rarely did I ever see those kids get any real counsel, but because I was baptised, I somehow had to sit and listent to how I was supposed to conduct myself-again!

I hated the "little room".

Ridiculous trips to the 'back room'

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