I plead guilty to that.
In our part of the world, the JWs took the pre-1975 hype even further, and tended to condemn any of their young people who even entered into a trade in during years. I was firstly prevented from going to university (even though a large company had offered to sponsor me), and then 12 months later was made to pull out of the apprenticeship that I had just entered in the telecommunications industry.
With the assistance of some contacts my father had in the industry, I was later able to complete an apprenticeship in a related field (electrician). At the conclusion of this, my employer wanted to put me through the diploma course at polytech. However, my wife of the time strenuously objected , claiming that the "children now needed a father". She was quite correct about that, of course - a trade apprenticeship while you are an adult is murder on family life. I did, though, manage to complete a paper in Advanced Trade studies. That was enough to at least get me into the branch of the electrical trade (i.e. test work) that I was most interested in. Some in the congregation had the daggers out for me for even doing this. However, by that time I knew enough about what was what to (mentally, at least) give them the good old two-fingered salute!
These days, I have the good fortune to be working at a site where they are prepared to employ me as an engineer: - regarding my advanced trade qualifications to be adequate, when coupled together with my extensive industry experience. To buttress this further, I am presently in the process of applying for membership of the Institute of Engineers as an Engineering Associate.
This is not a course, though, that I would recommend to anyone. If I had my time over again, I would have without hesitation undertaken the degree course.
At 58 years of age, I shudder to think of what my lot would now be if I had not at least managed to get into a trade while still a young adult:
- the temperatures outside have been up to 48 Degrees Celsius this summer, and dragging a jack hammer around all day for a living in those conditions is definitely work for young men!
Of course, the real victims in all this tomfoolery were my three children. For that, the WTS should be collectively shot with a ball of their own $h*t!
Bill.