As a JW Were you Counseled on Grooming, your Dress or Hair Styles ?

by flipper 49 Replies latest jw friends

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  flipper

  Just another controlling feature of a mind controlled cult. They always dictate that everyone should look like clones of one another - the same.

  From early on I remember my elder dad in the late 1970's telling me as a teenager , " You are an elders son ; little brother Jimmy over there looks up to you as an example. You can't insist on your rights and wear your hair over your ears or he will do the same thing ! " Like that was such a bad thing. I was such a negative influence. Then once more as a ministerial servant in my 20's in the 1980's when I started growing a moustache after a week an older elder told me, " Mr. Flipper I'm using you on an assembly part and your new moustache makes you look like your face is dirty, unwashed ; I would appreciate you shaving it off before the assembly this weekend. " So young middle 20's mind controlled freak that I was I agreed to shave it off ; although it pissed me off , even then at the control. Later on a few weeks later I was told if I didn't wear colored socks dark brown or black to carry the microphones - would not be allowed to carry them. I liked wearing white socks ( I know - weird ) but was told I couldn't carry the mikes wearing white socks - which by the way were covered up pretty good. LOL!

  I remember a friend of mine who was counseled by a self righteous elder that, " Your wife wears too low of a top at the meeting. Too much of her breasts are showing ! " Then my friend told the elder, " Maybe you shouldn't be looking at my wife's breasts then brother ! " So this elder walked away with his tail between his legs.

  But I mean - this kind of thing was going on constantly ! People telling you what to wear, what not to wear , hair styles, dress lengths , etc . It was ridiculous. It's almost like each family ( if the elders had their way ) should be assigned an elder to watch them as they exit their house to go to meetings - making sure they looked appropriate to go to the kingdom hall. So what crazy experiences have you folks had in regards to being harassed for what you wore, how you groomed while in the witnesses ? As always I look forward to your experiences ! Peace out , Mr. Flipper
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  stillajwexelder

  When I was an elder I was told my neckties were "too loud" by one fellow elder
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  stillajwexelder

  a famous incident in our hall before I came into the truth so I did not witness it, but the School Overseer got his tape measure out and was measuring sisters skirt lengths above the knee before being allowed to go on the platform
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  no more kool aid

  We pretty much fell in line about dress and grooming (good little soldiers),with the exceptions of denim skirts which I commented on earlier this week. However we were counseled informally when our kids were little. I think babies should look like babies and wear comfortable clothes that make for easy quick diaper changes or an impromptu nap. When we didn't cut the boys hair real short, put them in ridiculous suits, button up shirts,ties and hard shoes we got many critical comments on how children should look like little ministers. Some sisters would give me tips about were I could find appropriate business attire for 18 month olds. To this day I hate to see a toddler in some grownup get ups and being dragged to an assembly all day or in and out of a car seat in service. It's like people make their kids their own resume for what good christians they are.
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  asilentone

  When I was a teenager, I sneaked out to the barber shop and he shaved all of my head off. When My Elder Dad saw me, he had a huge fit with me! The girls like it though.
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  wunce_wuz

  Yeah...

  Had a moustache. An elder pointed out in the then lastest magazine(70's) that there was a picture of a scientist at a chalkboard attempting to prove evolution. The scientist had a moustache.

  Therefore, the obvious conclusion, in his alledged brain was that if you had a moustache you believed in evolution...

  That was my first clue that some elders, and in this case, a Bethel elder had some serious thought process issues.

  And of course the usual issues with hair length and dress.
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  wobble

  Damn I gave in !!

  I was counseled about my long sideburns in the early seventies so I shaved them (a bit).

  I then grew a beard in 1975,not a word was said,apart from one of the most conservative and critical sisters,who said she liked it !

  I kept it until 1988,giving public Talks etc,but was told I couldn't go on an assembly item,field circus experiences, with a beard,so I shaved it off.

  One of my friends said later, "but you had the experience when you had a beard,so whats the big deal?"

  I wish now that I had told them to go jump,but I saw things differently then,I didn't think having a beard or not was a big deal.

  Love

  Wobble

  P.S I would like to grow a beard again,but my Wife hates grey beards,which is what it would be now,not the fearsome ZZ Top style black beard I sported in the seventies !
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  Jim_TX

  At an assembly once... I got 'booted' from being able to 'adjust the microphone' for the seaker. My hair was deemed too long by some big-shot.

  Since it was on a Saturday - and the assembly didn't let out until late in the afternoon - when all barbers were closed - this pretty much meant that I was out of it for the duration of the assembly.

  Oh well. I think that was the last assembly I ever attended.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  wobble

  Thinking back, I just laugh about the silliness of rule making,pharasee style,that they did.

  At one D.C they stopped one young bro. from being an attendant coz. he had on a "blazer" and trousers,not a suit. This was at a time when crumpled suits were the fashion,so they allowed a young guy with a crumpled suit,looked like a bloody scarecrow,to attend in place of the first guy.

  What a load of utter TWATS!

  Love

  Wobble
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  sspo

  I counseled quite a few for their grooming and dress and looking back i feel stupid for doing it

  but in reality we were all brainwashed by the watchtower, CO, DO and so on.

  Glad to be out of the cult and allow people to live their own life.