Posts by Jim

62

Hello??

by franticfran in

jw
friends

i have just joined this website and just wanted to say hello to anyone out there.

i am so nervous,after thirty odd years in the "truth" i feel as though my husband and i have just walked into a room full of smiling strangers and we are just standing here hoping to god someone will come up and speak to us.

scared and excited and hoping to wake up one morning and not wonder what we do now???

Jim_TX

Howdy Fran from Texas - and welcome to the forum - and life - don't be so frantic.

I hope that you stay a while, and also that you are doing okay. At first, it may seem difficult to make new friends, but we've all been there.

You'll do fine.

19

Fake money in contribution boxes

by enigma1863 in

someone posted a great idea i felt should have its own discussion thread.

i think it would be really cool if we could get people around the country or world to donate fake money in the contribution boxes that have thought provoking messages.

kinda like money tracts.

Jim_TX

Whilst I like the creativity of folks here, I think I have to warn ya... sending things through the U.S. Mail puts some of these ideas into a different category. You may get yourself into trouble with the U.S Postal system. I don't know about othe countries, so if the poster above is in a different country - they may need to check on local laws regarding what someone may consider mail 'fraud'.

We now return you to your regular program...

5

Not just elevators - hotel rooms are unsafe

by Jim_TX in

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.

Jim_TX

...you sure got around!

No, unfortunately, I didn't get around. Most gals who were jw's - that I was supposed to date - weren't interested in me.

Those that weren't jw's were probably interested in me... but I wasn't picking up on their 'signals' that they were interested in me. They probably went away confused.

...you have a memory like an elephant!

Yeah... it's the Ginko Biloba - or that's what I tell my wife. She is totally amazed at all of the names that I dredge up and tell stories about. I can't explain it. Clarity of thought has never been this good - and it seems to be the memories from long ago, too.

I am thinking that it may be a curse... I will sit there and say to myself... "What was that fella (or gal)'s name?" I'll mull it over, and then forget about it, until a few hours later, I will say, "Jack Williams. That was his name!" - or whatever. I don't know how I do it.

I forgot to tell about the three jw gals that I went to a James Bond movie with. Yeah... I met them at the kh, and got into the back seat. All three of them were up front. We had a great time... and I suppose it was an okay 'date'... any other fella would have been envious I suppose since I went to the movies with three of the 'hotties' of the congregation - but nothing happened - no hand holding, nada. Afterwards, I was taken back to my car, and they drove off into the sunset.

7

JW showed up at my door.

by dogon in

its a bit weirder than the title may lead you to believe.

i moved from michigan where i was a witness for 30 years to arkansas and then to kansas.

a year ago i moved to florida.

Jim_TX

I liked your post.

But - like the Terminator... They'll be back.

5

Not just elevators - hotel rooms are unsafe

by Jim_TX in

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.

Jim_TX

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.

140

Bipolar Landlady kicks me out!

by Terry in

jw
friends

fun times.. a year and a month have passed since i moved in to the house where my cousin deb and her husband bobby live.. i had a small but comfortable room, tv, etc.. a nice cozy family situation, you might say....right?.

i pay $600 a month to defray expenses.. hunky dory.. sure.

until the first few eruptions!.

Jim_TX

Terry,

It sounds like you had a wonderful day. Someday, I'm gonna hafta get me one of them there new-fangled two-wheeled contraptions with pedals.

... when I was much younger, I used to ride a bicycle - I miss riding, but there are very few areas around here where I would feel safe riding. Plus, I would be tempted to put an electric hub motor on the bike, and toss on a battery, and add a bit of power to my rides.

36

Has a wrong disfellowshipping ever been reversed?

by lostnotfound in

im not talking about simply being reinstated.

i remember hearing a story about a brother that was disfellowshipped because of the testimony of two false witnesses.

years passed before they admitted to lying about the brother and was reinstated.. what is policy in this sort of situation?

Jim_TX

I've mentioned this one before... in the early to mid 70's, there was a fella and his wife that went to a small podunk town kingdom hall. The elders there, well, I don't know the back-story, or what went on behind the scenes.

Both the man and his claimed to be of the 'annointed'. The elders in the kingdom hall df'ed... well, it's baan a long time ago, and I don't know if they both got df'ed or just the husband. Let's say it was just the husband. He appealed to Brooklyn.

About a month after the df'ing announcement came an announcement that he was 'exonerated'. Not re-instated, but exonerated.

Also, there was a rumor going 'round that Brooklyn was sending some sort of special people to investigate the goings-on in that kingdom hall.

Since I was not personally going to that kingdom hall, or involved, I do not know how much of this is true, or tongue-wagging gossip.

Regards,

Jim TX

140

Bipolar Landlady kicks me out!

by Terry in

jw
friends

fun times.. a year and a month have passed since i moved in to the house where my cousin deb and her husband bobby live.. i had a small but comfortable room, tv, etc.. a nice cozy family situation, you might say....right?.

i pay $600 a month to defray expenses.. hunky dory.. sure.

until the first few eruptions!.

Jim_TX

Terry, it looks liike you have things going in the right direction. I hope it works out with your daughter and her not having to go over there... I would fear for her safety.

Not much else to say - oh, yeah. You have a PM from me. (heh heh heh, I've always wanted to say that,)

Regards,

Jim TX

5

The Cat in the Can

by Jim_TX in

funny story: .

every morning, i feed the cats outside.

i give them dry cat food, and also two small cans of cat food.

Jim_TX

Funny story:

Every morning, I feed the cats outside. I give them dry cat food, and also two small cans of cat food. Well, I got a big tall can of cat food that I fed them yesterday morning. I usually leave the small cans on the porch, and the cats gladly clean them, and later on I place them in the recycle garbage can.

Well, yesterday morning, I left the tall can on the porch. A few minutes later, my wife and I hear a 'BANG' against the screen door. We go to look, and see one of the cats that had gotten his head, ears and all stuck inside the can. He was stumbling around trying to extricate himself from the can - with no success.

I almost fell over laughing, but my wife scolded me and said to help him (which I was going to do anyway). I calmly talked to him, and surprisingly, he stood still while I grabbed the can and pulled. It was difficult getting it off - he had filled it pretty well with his head. It came off with a 'pop'.

When I finally got it off of his head, he just sat there calmly for a bit allowing me to pet him, before he headed off for another adventure.

As he trotted away, the other cats were looking at him like, "You Idiot! That was MY can!"

21

Talked to Phone Witnessing JWs

by jamiebowers in

jw
friends

i usually can't hear someone knocking on the door of our enclosed porch, so i haven't spoken to a jw in person in the ten years that we've been at this house.

and being that the temperatures are currently very cold in northeast ohio, i suppose the jws are doing telephone witnessing.

so, today i had the opportunity to talk to two real live jws.

Jim_TX

Wow! Excellent! I give you a 'G' on your presentation. (I hope you understand that... I don't even know if they still do that sort of thing anymore...)

Jim_TX

Posts by Jim_TX