by metatron 51 Replies latest jw friends
Their only hope is to fall back on previously acquired wealth or to hope to find a generous family who will take care of them.
They would be lucky to get a pittance from the WTS.
CO?s in between a rock and a hard place? if they save for retirement they are perceived as having doubts about Armageddon, if they don?t save, they are screwed come time for retirement.
I think the WT expects the friends to give CO's a rent free apartment at their Kingdom Halls.
Around here the COs and their wives make out pretty good. They hare an apartment all to themselves with room for flowerbeds. The older ones look sad and are almost glad when their parents need their assistance so they have to leave the "traveling work." Many young ones see it as a stepping stone to greater things....what would that be?
Many have nice clothes purchased for them, their car is provided, health care is provided even if it is a little inconvenient at times flying back to NY Bethel to get treatment.
Most had some kind of business or training before becoming COs. Many find jobs with wealthy brothers after leaving. I remember Ruben Kobos, who now works for a brother out of Illinois in the travel business. Is it a coincidence that shortly after meeting this brother in the DO work that his health meant he had to leave the "work"?
Blondie
I am still pretty POd at the last CO who offered me councel that emotionally devastated me at the time, so it's hard to be totally objective on this one. I knew one young semi fun loving CO who was the coolest of them all, but I heard he quit and he and his wife were building a house. Many of them reminded me of used car salemen. Some of them seemed quite phoney. I didn't trust a lot of them, because I didn't believe they were on the up and up. I think some of them are stuck in there just like the rest of us were stuck in there. I am sure they are the same as the rest of us were, some having doubts and so forth--they are only human like the rest of us. I am sure some of them get real tired of the whole deal. Can you imagine giving the same boring talks to every congo week after week?
'cheese- cracker men'
Not to change the subject, but I've seen this expression used around here several times. Could anyone comment on exactly what it means or how it originated?
It is in reference to the people who work part time giving out free samples of cheese and crackers at the greocery stores.
Met,
I tell you, I wanted to be a CO so bad.
And to be honest, I think I would have made a really good one.
Of course, there's no way now - mostly because I "know too much."
But back then, that was my life goal.
My now ex-wife and I pioneered for 10 years.
We purposely didn't have children.
And it was our goal to be in the Circuit work by 35. MY age now.
We were planning to be debt free and have enough money to keep one home paid for and some money in the bank.
I make a very good financial living, so it was very possible to be "retired" by 35.
It's a sore subject for me, because I was an MS for almost 10 years. And pioneered all that time.
And the FREAK'IN elders were so freakin jealous of me because I made so much money that they never made me an elder.
How do you pioneer and be an MS for 10 years and bring 8 people into the truth (tm) and not become an Elder!!!
Even the guy I studied with became and elder.
That was the begining of my spiral downward (or upward - depending on how you look at it.)
It's ok, though.
But to say that they are stuck in their jobs??? If I was them, back then, I would have welcomed it.
BTW, the one "good thing" was that I knew that I would never want to resent ANYTHING that I did in the truth (tm).
In a way, I partly regret not having children.
But I worked to make a lot of money, because there would be NO WAY that I was going to come off the Circuit Overseer list at 55 and try to find a job again.
I figure if I was going to do this, and do this happily. That I would need to "retire" from the Circuit work and have a home to come back to and some money.
Wow!!
I said a lot here.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this.
It hurts so much, because I gave my LIFE to this organization. And when I struggled with problems, they said F- YOU to me.
Retirement?
All our CO's are over 60. THey don't have to save for retirement that is their retirement. They live in their little apartments and every meal is catered to them or paid for. They go to the local social culb known as the hall and they get out every day and excerise while handing out their W&A!. They get a nice free brand new buick lesaber paid for by others, and it is a lease car so it will always be replaced with a newer model. Medical paid for by others. And tips that go into your pocket from every hall you visit.
Tell me what do you need to retire to people chewing your food for you? Maybe in other places it is bad but in Socal it is close to the paradise an old "cheese and cracker man" can get. Could you imagine if your wife dies sad yes. The new wife can be a quarter of your age and you get to have the best looking one in the circuit.
Con,
It hurts so much, because I gave my LIFE to this organization. And when I struggled with problems, they said F- YOU to me.
I know how you feel,,all cults are like that people are not important,,only the organization is important. It good you have been able to express it sometimes to get it out in the open we defuse it.
Many of them ARE stuck and want to get out. But they realize that to start all over again with no marketable skill in today's job market would be nothing short of suicide, so many press on....bitterly press on. You want to know who are some of the most bitter people in the org? Talk to a few C.O.'s and their WIVES. You'll get an eye-opener.
