Not sure if the title is a good one or not... I didn't want to add to the elevator thread, since it seems to have gone sideways.
I was mulling over the elevator 'dangers' and a long faded memory sprang back from the dusty corners of my mind.
Years ago, when I was yound, single, dumb, and still a good lil' jw, there was a circuit assembly held here locally. There was a time when the Colliseum was used, but due to its' small size, they booked it for two weekends in a row, and brought in people from two or three (or more) different circuits, spaced across those two weekends.
I had gotten acquainted with a nice young gal named Rhonda W. She and her friends Shannon F. and Cindy attended the first assembly where they worked as telephone operators. Yes, some brother had a complete telephone switchboard that he put in the basement and I helped run telephone wires to all of the departments. Then, when the bigwigs would pick up the telephone, it would ring at the operators' switchboard, and they would tell her the extension they wanted to be connected to. The whole thing looked like a set from Lilly Tomlin's operator named Ernestine.
Since the gals worked through many of the talks, they decided to come back the following week, and sit through the talks, listening and taking notes.
Heck, since I was sweet on Rhonda, I figured, what the heck, and went back too for a double dose. I got to see her again, and sit next to her. WooHoo!!!
The gals were able to get a hotel room across in the Tropicana Hilton, which back in the 70's was still in its' heyday, although it may have been on the downside of the curve. They were able to get three in one room, and able to afford the rates to stay there, plus only have to walk across the street to the Colliseum.
Rhonda told me her room number, and I told her I would be up in the morning to escort them to the assembly. I got there, and knocked on the door, and they let me in. Boy! A fella like me in a room with three young ladies! They were dressed, just putting the final touches to their makeup, and hair. When they were finished, we all walked over to the assembly where we sat... (me kinda bored - I hadn't had to sit through an assembly session in a while since I usually worked 'sound' and wandered around making sure the audio levels were good throughout the buildings).
I remember Rhonda sitting there, with her stenographers spiral notebook taking shorthand notes. I was cutting up with her other friend on the other side of her, and she got lost in her shorthand... and got frustrated and wrote on her notes... 'shutup!' or somesuch. I thought that was funny as heck, and got to keep that page of notes - since she had messed them up, she had ripped out the page.
Okay... the point to this story...
Later, I was stoked that a gal had found me - JimTX - interesting enough to interact with me. I told a friend - who was a woman that I knew - Sammi. She was married with three kids, but considered me her younger brother I suppose - she was always taking care of me - feeding me, and giving me advice.
Anyway, when I related to her about my adventure of the day (still on cloud nine), she went ballistic!!! WHAT?!?!?!?! I had gone to their hotel room?!?!?!
Her paniced thoughts were along the lines that these three young women could have abducted me into their room and molested me sexually.
Ya know... that had never even entered my dull-witted mind. Sex? With these three friends? I was interested in Rhonda, yes. I was hoping that she would turn into a girlfriend, yes. But sex? There on a meeting morning?
But here was Sammi, going on about how I needed to be careful. Some women might do that.
I was literally stunned. I had never thought that gals might attack me. I always figured if anything happened, it might be the other way around... but like I said, I never thought of anything inappropriate happening.
Things like that though are what jw's are always thinking about - and, yes, it affected me.
I remember working as a DJ at a local radio station. I worked the graveyard shift on Saturday and Sunday. My clock started at midnight and ended at 6am. During those long lonely and quiet hours, I had listeners who were regulars and would call in.
There were three women that I remember. One woman was a retired air force lady who had a cat or two. She would call in and we would talk. She was probably old enough to be my mother, but we liked to talk. She wanted me to come visit her at her apartment. Remembering my previous tongue lashing from Sammi, I would kindly decline the offers. This lady was persistent. I finally agreed if I could bring a friend. She was okay with that. She was a very nice person, and we got to meet and sit and chat for a while. She didn't strip and attack me like I was led to believe all women might do.
The other two women were younger than me, and I took them out a couple of times. Nola Y. was platinum blonde and very attractive. She wanted me to come by and visit her one Sunday morning on my way home. I finally agreed, and knocked on her door in the wee hours of the morning. No answer. I later phoned her, and learned that she had gone to sleep and not heard the knocking at the door. After sitting in her living room, I saw a photo on her coffee table, of her and two other gals - whom I recognized. I also saw a NWT bible on her table. It turns out that she was an ex-jw. We dated for a few weeks, and then she left. I don't think that she could take going back, and perhaps I pushed too hard. I heard thrugh the grapevine that she got married. I missed her for a while.
The other gal, JoHanna L. was very sweet. I took her out a few times. Nothing ever came of it, although she would swoon everytime I kissed her goodnight. (I figured she was a good actress)
Since I'm talking about gals, I also met a gal when I was taking a programming class at San Antonio College. She sat behind me in class, and we would chat (and I suppose flirt). Her name was Lucy M. I wanted to ask her out, but since she wasn't a jw, I couldn't. (At that time, I was naive, and also a bit stupid) I would walk her to her car after class, and open her car door - all of the 'gentleman' things - before saying goodbye for the day. She musta thought I was odd.
I think that I hijacked my own post. I guess the initial thought I was trying to make is that some jw's are so conditioned to think that guys and gals cannot be alone with each other and just talk, or have a good time - without thinking 'sex' and jumping each others' bones.
I eventually learned it ain't true.
Regards,
Jim TX
P.S. I remember these gals' last names... I just don't want them to show up here - and so just put the first letter of their last name.