I only recognize one name from the 1969 Laurel program, a Brother Adwell who was in the Annapolis MD congregation we attended for a while in the '69- '70 period. I forget the name of the congregation, but it had some real oldtimers there who dated back to the Russell days.
Memories of Maryland Conventions!
by Atlantis 35 Replies latest jw friends
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Atlantis
dropoffyourkeylee:
Russell's day? Wow! Those folks must have had some stories to tell.
Thank you!
Petra!
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dropoffyourkeylee
Yes, one of them was Brother Silloway ( I might have the spelling wrong). He was mentioned in the '75 yearbook, I believe. He had been tarred and feathered back during WWI. When I remember him he was nearly ninety and didn't say much. He partook at the memorial and that's about it, as I recall.
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road to nowhere
8 days. Ghetto stadium, people living in houses with no roofs. One murder. Several rapes. And camping.
Different one, 90% humidity, 100 degrees. The AC did work, and it was about60 to 65 inside. And I got chewed out for being a playboy; friends daughter was 14, looked 20, wife was 25, looked 16, and i got told i should be volunteering instead of flirting.
Coliseums, ball parks, fair grounds. Rain, hail, wind. And I thought it was right.
Remember driving cross country with a WT in the window? Laying in back if a station wagon because there weren't enough seats
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Pete Zahut
Looking back as an adult I realize that as a small child, in order to survive those hellish 8 day all day and night assemblies, I had to get really good at going somewhere else mentally for long periods of time. I remember counting down the talks and feeling utterly hopeless in the afternoon session realizing that there were 6 more hours and 7 more days to go, all the while siting on wood slats out in the blazing sun. Some of those old talks (esp. Fred Franz) reminded me of the old black and white news reels of Hitler addressing Nazi Germany. To complain was tantamount to telling Satan you were on his side and wanted to be destroyed at Armageddon. After all, the brothers in Africa had it much worse and they were happy to do it.
Later in adulthood, I was riddled with anxiety whenever I heard that familiar amplified drone that JW speakers all seem to have. Just hearing "Good afternoon brothers...let's begin taking our seats and enjoy a musical interlude of Kingdom Melodies in preparation for the fine spiritual feast that's been prepared for us", made me want to head for the hills.
So much of growing up as a JW in those days was a form of child abuse. I don't even want to think about it.
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greenhornet
Yep I remember when the music started playing they stoped selling lunches. I hated that new rule
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Atlantis
dropoffyourkeylee:
road to nowhere:
Pete Zahut:
greenhornet:
I don't think the JW's of today would have been able to have endured the crap you all had to go through. But, at least you made it out of that hell prison and are helping others. What an honorable thing you are doing now!
Petra!
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smiddy3
I thank the Cosmos I wasn`t dragged up into this religion as a child ,sadly though I brought up my own two boys in this religion and at least it was a lot more flexible and liberal congregation that they were subjected to .
And thankfully they are now well adjusted adults leading successful lives away from the religion.
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Atlantis
smiddy3:
MightyV8:
Thank you both for your comments!
Petra!