Wise Words

"It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, as pastors teach, but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously."

H.L. Mencken

Wasted Years, Really?

"Do you really think your years in the cult were wasted?" a friend asked.

My knee-jerk reaction is to say, "Yes! Of course they were." But on reflection, I find I need to qualify that.

From my years in the cult came:

• The children born to me. I surely would not have had so many children had I not been in TFI. 
• An appreciation for the little things in life. Having gone without such things as fresh food, clothes that fit, daily vigorous exercise, I am now deeply thankful for them.
• The ability to live on a shoestring and to feel real empathy for those who live in poverty.
• An appreciation for freedom, most of all, freedom of the mind — to read, study, learn, or waste time, as I choose. 
• The ability to speak with confidence in front of a crowd. It is possible I could have learned this elsewhere and with more proficiency, but I learned it through experience in the cult.
• Similarly, I learned how to teach children and developed the ability to make learning fun.
• Again, I could have learned this without having joined a cult, but as a result of my years living abroad, I now have a sensitivity and understanding of culture and cultural differences. I have learned, as the Japanese say, "to read the air."

So, although I would have preferred to have made wiser decisions in my youth, I guess I must conclude that not "everything" was a complete waste.