Posts by La Capra

44

This is so huge.

by La Capra in

jw
friends

when i was four, i believed that my life could be painfully and tortuously taken from me, in a ball of flame, crashing down from the heavens, just while i sitting down to a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.. when i was nine, i believed that my life, as i then knew it, would be drastically altered, that i would be tortured for being a jw, and after suffering for who knows how long, i would die (because i still hadn't lived up to jehovah's expectations).. when i was 13, i wanted to be a nuclear physicist-because it sounded cool, but in the meantime i believed that i would die in armageddon because i wanted to go to college, get really educated, and have a great, "worldly" life.. when i was 15, i felt guilty that i hoped armageddon would never come, because i so desperately wanted to go to college.. when i was 17, i was offered an honors early admissions in a prestigious program in a highly regarded engineering program.

my mother flat out said, "no!".

when i was 18, i scuttled semi-secretly to the local university, part-time, trying to hide my daily activities without actually lying to anyone.. when i was 19 i quit pretending and disassociated.

La Capra

Thank you everyone.

I plan to finish out teaching the school year-partly because I have several JW students that I am teaching how to think (WTBTS logic is no match for high geometry logic, I hope).

I spent most of law school clerking for the our public defender-you know, fighting for the rights of the oppressed and the accused. As my boss there told me on my last day on Thursday, "You have made a genuine difference in the lives of a lot of people, not just the clients you helped, but also their families who need them." (A hell of a lot more useful than waking someone up on a Saturday morning to hand them a 5th grade reading level tract.)

But, the area I want to practice is family law. I've had some job offers, but nothing that has set me on fire. I'm looking for a spot that will allow me the opportunity to do child advocacy, and yes, I am hoping to do some pro bono work for ex JWs with a good cause(child endangerment, abuse, parental alienation, and blood issues).

I may develop my repetoire to be an "expert" witness on JWs. I have seen so much.

This law school -becoming an attorney endeavor is the most satisfying thing I have ever accomplished. I chose it, it fit, and gosh durn it-I turned out to be pretty good at it. And besides, in my teaching career I have taught more than a thousand kids how to use the quadratic formula and how to do trigonmetry. I figure I can convince a judge or jury 'bout nearly anything.

I tell my stories for all the late teens and early twenties. A few short years of sacrifice can yield great accomplishment and rewards.

And as for the next few months? I hope to be able to take it a little easy until spring. I have been going full throttle, on all my cylinders now for four years. I really just need a tune up and a nap.

I'm going to bed now.

Shoshana

44

This is so huge.

by La Capra in

jw
friends

when i was four, i believed that my life could be painfully and tortuously taken from me, in a ball of flame, crashing down from the heavens, just while i sitting down to a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.. when i was nine, i believed that my life, as i then knew it, would be drastically altered, that i would be tortured for being a jw, and after suffering for who knows how long, i would die (because i still hadn't lived up to jehovah's expectations).. when i was 13, i wanted to be a nuclear physicist-because it sounded cool, but in the meantime i believed that i would die in armageddon because i wanted to go to college, get really educated, and have a great, "worldly" life.. when i was 15, i felt guilty that i hoped armageddon would never come, because i so desperately wanted to go to college.. when i was 17, i was offered an honors early admissions in a prestigious program in a highly regarded engineering program.

my mother flat out said, "no!".

when i was 18, i scuttled semi-secretly to the local university, part-time, trying to hide my daily activities without actually lying to anyone.. when i was 19 i quit pretending and disassociated.

La Capra

When I was four, I believed that my life could be painfully and tortuously taken from me, in a ball of flame, crashing down from the heavens, just while I sitting down to a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.

When I was nine, I believed that my life, as I then knew it, would be drastically altered, that I would be tortured for being a JW, and after suffering for who knows how long, I would die (because I still hadn't lived up to Jehovah's expectations).

When I was 13, I wanted to be a nuclear physicist-because it sounded cool, but in the meantime I believed that I would die in armageddon because I wanted to go to college, get really educated, and have a great, "worldly" life.

When I was 15, I felt guilty that I hoped armageddon would never come, because I so desperately wanted to go to college.

When I was 17, I was offered an honors early admissions in a prestigious program in a highly regarded engineering program. My mother flat out said, "NO!"

When I was 18, I scuttled semi-secretly to the local university, part-time, trying to hide my daily activities without actually lying to anyone.

When I was 19 I quit pretending and disassociated. (Thanks to my dad for sticking by me on that one.)

When I was 23 I became a high school math teacher. (Has paid the bills for 16 years, now!)

When I was 25 I bought a house. (If you could call it that)

When I was 30, I bought a second house. (This one really was a house-I still have both, though).

When I was 34, I decided to go to law school.

When I was 38, on November 17, 2006, at 18:25 PST, I learned that I PASSED THE CALIFORNIA BAR EXAM (and on the first try too!).

So,

That's La Capra, Esq. now.

I think I'll go save the world-move over Jesus, the Goat has arrived....

Shoshana (whose champagne buzz has finally worn down to a dull thump).

7

So there's this girl...

by Anony-Mouse in

jw
friends

there's this girl at our congregation.

i thought she was cute and all...but one day she actually comes up and talks to me.

i'm a shy person at the meetings, but once you get to know me, i'm plenty fun :p .

La Capra

It's easy for us to say this on this side of our twenties, but the high school years are for getting your heart ripped out. Some of the most tender memories that I visit are those surrounding those teen-aged crushes and romances. Nothing unusual to worry about here. Listen to your heart and live it-at least for now.

Shoshana

16

What are the Elders thinking? What are JW's thinking?

by Fisherman in

there was a time when most jw's solemly believed that the "end" was comming in their life time, that the preaching work was a life saving work and the most important work on earth and that the wts was god's organization, god's agency, the only channel of communication on earth.

i think that most jws today somewhat still vagely believe that now but i wonder, what is going on in the minds and hearts of the jws today?

what is everyone thinking?

La Capra

When I left, on the dint of my own determination, in 1987, the generation teaching was still going strong, and the fervor was getting stronger-for all the obvious reasons.

I didn't realize the generation teaching changed in the 90s until I started reading H20 in 1999 or 2000. However, my personal opinion is that even though the organiztion doesn't formally teach it, the imminence of the end is still deeply ingrained in the JW culture. Despite what they say at the door (like about denying they believe only JWs would survive armageddon), we know what a JW really knows they should believe. They sincerely believe they are the only ones to be saved, and that armageddon really will arrive soon (a "few" years), and that getting a college education will lock you out of the Kingdom of God.

The cognitive dissonance is raising a ruckus as the rank and file broaden their horizons while being subconsciously pummelled into guilt, anxiety, inadequacy and insecurity. When I was being raised in it, it was simply strict, controlling, manipulative, and sometimes arbitrary and cruel. Now it has become a major mind-f--k for those who sincerely pursue all the activity, study and obedience that the organization requires of them. They know what the literature "officially" teaches, and they know the disparity between that and what they are "supposed to believe."

It is sicker now than it was in the 70s and 80s. A whole different JW culture is emergent...too much to protect, not enough authority to support it.

Shoshana

9

Tell me about your relationship with Jehovah

by Nosferatu in

jw
friends

i'll tell you a bit of what me and jehovah's relationship was like.

i talked to him, but he never responded.

whenever something good happened to me, i believed that he had everything to do with it.

La Capra

Without Jehovah, you can still breathe. Without Jehovah, you can still start a fire. Without oxygen, you're dead, and, not that you'd care, all your food is cold.

Better to nurture that relationship with Oxygen, I'd say-if only for a hot meal.

Shoshana

1

My Recent Transition

by La Capra in

jw
friends

no one noticed it but me.

but it did not go uncelebrated and unaccounted for.

when i was 19, i attended my last meeting while vacationing on a tropical island with my family.

La Capra

No one noticed it but me. But it did not go uncelebrated and unaccounted for.

When I was 19, I attended my last meeting while vacationing on a tropical island with my family. I knew it was going to be my last meeting for about a month, when I decided I was bagging the religion for an actual life. My mom is the JW, and although she didn't know my plans at that time, she found out as soon as we got back (oh, that explains why my daughter broke out the bikini on the beaches instead of that modest one-piece I picked out for her at the Mode O' Day...).

That was 19 years ago. About two weeks ago was the day that marked my transition from more of my life as a Jehovah's Witness to more of my life not a Jehovah's Witness.

And even thoug I totally did not plan it, I was on the same tropical island! I was on a vacation with my family (the same one). I didn't pick the location myself, an unaware uncle did. But at just the right moment, I did drop the bombshell on my mother (the JW) while enjoying a particularly rummy tropical view.

"Mom, do you realize that exactly half my life ago, we were here together vacationing? I was 19 and now I'm 38, and here we are again, in the exact same place." I watched carefully for her expression to cloud. And it did, but only for a second. Then she was back to her compartmentalized droid self.

Shoshana

Of the "still knows how to twist the knife" class.

16

Halloween Costume Ideas?

by Dune in

jw
friends

i met some people thursday night that are going to a halloween party .this will be the first halloween that i'll actually be doing something, but i cant think of anything to go as.

do you guys dress up and go to parties and such?

any good ideas?

La Capra

I always like something topical and scandalous. This year, the funny get-up will be with May-December gay couples: Foley and a Legislative Page. Too funny, and pretty easy to do.

Shoshana

41

Disfellowshipping for Gluttony?

by Smoky in

is that possible?..have there been any cases like this?.

my family have been on my case about me hanging around with people (non-jw family) that like to drink alot.

they went as far as to call me "a drunk"...now i do admit that i have been gotten drunk before on occasion, but i am not a drunk or an alcoholic.. so, i told my mother (obese) that if i were "a drunk" for getting drunk from time to time (not every day), then can she be considered "a glutton", for eating to much, obese, having health problems, all because of the way she eats?

La Capra

No matter how on point the remark was, I don't think one would see past the insult of being called fat to understand she's being a hypocrite. Of the hell hath no fury like a woman called fat class (even if she is as big as a VW bus). Shoshana

21

Literature not for Disf'ed people says Elder.........

by Balsam in

i had an interesting encounter today, actually my son and i both.

well my good intentioned ex-husband and father of my son thought he would have the local congregation elders call on us and try to get us back to meetings.

well i had been getting literature from this local elder's wife without her knowing i was ever a jw.

La Capra

Visit the laundromats. There are usually some magazines there. Also, figure out where the "favored pioneers" get to "street witness." They may be set up at a table at one of the local malls. With a little planning you could have a little contact with lots of different JWs, rather than a lot of contact with just one. Malls that allow them to set up a table may tell you what their schedule is.

Shoshana

43

How do you deal with telemarketers?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

La Capra

I just don't answer the phone. Some have started leaving automated messages, which I also ignore. What drives me nuts is that my neighborhood seems to get lots of door to door sales people who have started to target the dinner hour. I walk up the peep hole to make sure it isn't a neighbor, and when they hear me they have actually started to talk, even if I don't open the door, and don't say anything. Last night it was the pest control company that comes around every other day, and tonight it was someone selling windows.

I have got to call the pest control company and ask them if they have anything that eradicates door to door salespeople...(I asked one that question once-he wasn't amused....)

Shoshana