Vow of Poverty

[JW Insider]

1 hour ago, TrueTomHarley said:

He said that those who went to Bethel did so because they couldn't cut it in the real world and wanted someone to look out for them.

. . . . "No, Tom thinks only losers go to Bethel, who can't make it anywhere else," John replied for me!

I think John was just looking out for you.

Lot of truth in what he said, though, speaking personally, of course.

 

 

[TrueTomHarley]

3 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

 

"No, Tom thinks only losers go to Bethel, who can't make it anywhere else," John replied for me!

Say - how did @The Librarianend up in charge of the Bethel library? (the helpless harried hen)

[TrueTomHarley]

27 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

I think John was just looking out for you.

Lot of truth in what he said, though, speaking personally, of course.

 

 

I would imagine this would be a hindsight assessment. Similar to 'perpetual students' in academia, perpetual soldiers in military, even perpetual jailbirds in the prison system. I could easily have been the first two, and, say if I was strangle some folks here, the third, as well. And had I gone to Bethel, I could have become the theocratic variety. I am not like Davey the Kid, who relished the challenge. The nitty-gritty of 'cutting it' in this system of things is a huge pain in the rear for me ... I just like to do what I like to do, irresepective of whether it pays or not.

Of course, all this is from the human point of view. What of the JWB brother who said we should not say 'he'll do all right; he has a marketable skill - what if one doesn't?' Instead, it should be said: 'he'll do all right; Jehovah will provide for one who puts his will first.'

But it is irresistably human to say the first.

Even now, when the bills are paid and the kids are gone and I can indulge some hobbies, I say 'I am on the road to becoming a best selling author. The trouble is, I am not very far along on that road.' (no thanks to @The Librarian(

[JW Insider]

12 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

I would imagine this would be a hindsight assessment.

Yup. At the time, I didn't have a care in the world. Thought I would probably stay at Bethel as a 10 to 20 year career, and that there was a good chance this would also see me through the end of this system.

Got married, and had to go out and get a real job. That's when the hindsight kicks in.

[TrueTomHarley]

4 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

If it were not for my Vow against Ad Hominem attacks, I would state the opinion that JTR is piece of work.

On a morning when Kingdom Hall attendance was extremely thin - some were off in seldom worked territory, some were at the foreign language circuit assembly - I whispered to the Watchtower conductor: "Did the friends think you were giving the talk today?"

"You're a piece of work!" he shot back.

[TrueTomHarley]

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

Yup. At the time, I didn't have a care in the world. Thought I would probably stay at Bethel as a 10 to 20 year career, and that there was a good chance this would also see me through the end of this system.

Got married, and had to go out and get a real job. That's when the hindsight kicks in.

It played out for me not in precisely that way. But it did play out.

From what I can see, not many make it though this system of things with elegance. It's enough to get through it with greater things intact. It is generally that way in the non-Witness world as well. Those that get through it seldom do it 'in style,' as someone or other once said. When I see the various prices people have paid, I'm glad I did not have to pay them.

[Evacuated]

7 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

 

Those that can ....do.

Those that can't ... teach

Those that can't teach ... teach gym.

Those that cant teach gym, sell real estate.

etc., etc.

 

Those that can't bear others getting expensive gifts

probably have their hands in the till...

or would like to (John  12:5-6) etc., etc. 

(This is fun )

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

...

[Evacuated]

 

On 6/5/2017 at 0:47 AM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

etc., etc.

 

C'mon James...don't be so hard on yourself!

 

[TrueTomHarley]

4 hours ago, Eoin Joyce said:

 

 

C'mon James...don't be so hard on yourself!

 

This is outrageous! It is an ad hominem attack. I strongly discourage tactics like this.

I have also heard allegations that some sign in a k a by another name. It is not right to do this.

[A Nice Guy]

It is very discouraging to see some resort to ad hominem attacks here. Either address the asinine point or let it pass.

Too, it is wrong to log in under an alias. As a new member, I promise I will never do that. For example, I am not TrueTomHarley. No. I am someone else. 

Let me express my great appreciation for @The Librarian. Surely her hard work and appreciation for institutions of learning benefit us all. Who cannot admire the many tomes of wisdom that sag the shelves of her institution? Who cannot admire her encouragement of new authors, even some who may be on this forum? We all do well to imitate her devotion to research and knowledge. (the old hen)

Who cannot admire how she nurtures people, encouraging shy ones like JTR to come out of his shell?

 

 

[Evacuated]

36 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

This is outrageous! It is an ad hominem attack.