by skeeter1 23 Replies latest jw experiences
I was a poor JW. Lived in the worst part of town.
There were rich JWs in our congregation, or so it seemed. They had businesses, lived in a nice part of town, always a new car, etc. Made it hard to swallow the "don't be materialistic" talk.
Know any rich JWs? How did it make you feel?
(Please don't give full names or locations. If you must, just say, "Brother Spitzman in NJ")
Skeeter
Yes, I know Brother Walllace, the original owner of Mighty Auto Parts. He is now dead, but he was very wealthy. His wife always uses coupons.
What's your definition of "rich"? I know a lot of well-to-do witnesses.
His bedroom is next door to indoor pool in their home.
Oh yeah lots of them in Seattle for sure. Yes once again the rules don't apply to them.
We had a wealthy elder in our KH, he had a bakery and a small chain of shops. Of course he always did the accomodation for CO, DO and bethel visits.
His talks were complete waffle but he always got talks at the convention. One year he got the talk "Live within your means". It was in very bad taste, I was a very loyal elder at the time but I couldn't sit and listen to it, I took my young son out for a walk. Everybody who knew him was thinking how they would love to live within his means.
A little while later he sold the business, invested in the stock market and lost most of his money.
I'm using a JW's real name and location to pay homage to him. I was living in another state when he passed on.
I still miss him. He was one of a kind.
I knew Mickey Spillane, the novelist (he died in July 2006).
He was in the Murrells Inlet Congregation about 20 miles from me. Mickey was a generous person who never thought twice about helping someone. Although I know there were times when the PO and CO gave him crap for the content of his books, he was also the first brother they went to for help when someone was in a financial crisis at a convention or had an accident, etc. You wouldn't know he was a millionaire to look at the guy. Never dressed in high fashion, just a pair of hush puppy shoes, khaki style slacks, a plain white or blue shirt, no nonsense tie and the same flat top haircut he had since his Army days back in the 1940's. He was given a 1956 Jaguar XK140 by John Wayne for re-writing a movie script, "Ring of Fear" (though uncredited for it). His house was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo and he used the $ 1 million dollar insurance policy to build his family a newer better one. Eight bedrooms, a massive kitchen with two stoves and a hunk of cherry wood as a centerpiece. A fireplace that I myself could easily step into (bent down of course) with an elephant gun on the mantle piece.
He drove an old Ford pickup truck and his wife Jane drove a Mercury Sable wagon. The Jaguar he got from John Wayne sat in the yard and collected squirrels, it was after all in his words "just a car."
Of all the JW's I have known in my life he was the most humble, generous and kind. I never thought twice about the money he had nor did I ever ask him for any. I figure he worked very hard for it and if I wanted the same all I had to do was sacrifice and find my niche, just as he did.
http://www.jw-archive.org/2011/01/mickey-spillane.html
The Jaguar looked exactly like the one in this video except for having a white top instead of a black one. At least I think. I only ever saw the car sitting in the yard with it's top down. He refused to sell it as he thought it wrong to sell a gift. Mickey explained that he was riding in California with John after re-writing "Ring of Fear" and he said how much he loved John's Jaguar and would love to have one like it but at present could never afford it. John made no reply but a few weeks later after Mickey had returned hom he found the Jaguar in his front yard with a big red bow on it with a note. "From John, thanks again for the re-write."
Oh, my dear, how do you tell if a person is rich if they never invite you over to the house? Or if they never give you a lot of money?
Awen-what a lovely story about Mickey Spillane, thanks for sharing it.
CJ
Well to do elder George Self in Asheville, NC drove Mercedes Benz, bragged about his riches on stage, and worked in advertizing.
At least he was well to do 20 years ago.
