Slippers / shoes at book studies

by billyboy 59 Replies latest jw friends

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  steve2

  Not asserting yourself can also pose problems.

  In the BS my family and I attended, everyone wore their shoes inside in house. We were never told to take our shoes off - ever. We later learned that the sister of the house had wanted us all to take our shoes off, but didn't think it was her job to make her requirement explicit. Apparently, she thought we all should have known. We learned about it indirectly through the often vicious JW grapevine. Talk about controversy and hurt feelings!

  It created a big fuss for a while and those of us who had gone inside with our shoes on went around muttering to one another, "Why didn't she ask us to remove our shoes?!" Some of us went to a new BS because of the sister's apparent inability to simply be upfront about the rules of her house.
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  tweety

  I had a BS in my home and I never really thought of people taking their shoes off at the door. Sometimes, while people were coming in...I had my fuzzy slippers on! Does that count? haaa
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  Finally-Free

  We were never told to take our shoes off - ever.

  I just put a sign beside the door that said "Remove Shoes Here" with a large arrow pointing to a mat where they could be left. Most people got the hint, but there were always a few who lacked sufficient reading and comprehension skills and needed a bit of personal attention to assist them.

  W
• 

  Buster

  Removing one's shoes may be a custom in many locations. But we had one MS in our hall that should always keep his shoes on. My god, even if he had dog doo on his shoes, it was still better than taking them off.

  Ole Jimbo had one hell of a case of stinkfoot.
• 

  Legolas

  Removing one's shoes may be a custom in many locations. But we had one MS in our hall that should always keep his shoes on. My god, even if he had dog doo on his shoes, it was still better than taking them off.

  Ole Jimbo had one hell of a case of stinkfoot.

  LOL...Well then he should have counseled about his grooming!
• 

  steve2

  I just put a sign beside the door that said "Remove Shoes Here"

  Most people got the hint,

  Hey there W! By the way, your explicit sign is not a hint - it's quite clear and upfront - which puts it into the league of a direct instruction which a hint never is. I like it - way to go!!
• 

  undercover

  Considering a couple of homes where the book study was held, the bottoms of my shoes were cleaner than the house we were in...

  I remember some brothers getting counseled for wearing cowboy boots instead of dress shoes. It was usually some CO or Bethel elder who was a stickler for grooming.
• 

  Finally-Free

  Ole Jimbo had one hell of a case of stinkfoot.

  This reminds me of one couple in my last hall. The service overseer™ phoned me to ask if I would mind having this couple in my BS. I thought it unusual, as I wasn't asked about anyone else in the group. I was new in the hall so I asked him why he thought it might be a problem. He said they had a serious problem with personal hygiene, and no one else wanted them in their homes because of the smell. So, naturally, I said I'd have a problem with it too. If anyone's gonna stink up my basement it's gonna be me.

  W
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  greendawn

  Never came across such a demand even in places where they had brand new carpets.
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  caligirl

  It was habit for us, not just for the book study. Very few New Englanders would be offended at being asked to take their shoes off- 1/2 the year it was snowing or raining and no one walked through the house, even their own, with boots on. So at our house, 1/2 the year everyone was shoeless, and no one ever complained. Most of us took our cue from what we saw when we entered. If there was a pile of shoes by the door, you assume that the hostess would like you to remove yours as well. I prefer being barefoot anyways, so it never bothers me. Plus, carpets stay much cleaner without shoes.