MormonTemple20101230

 

Introduction/Definition/etc PHOTOS http://picasaweb.google.com/DropInNOW/MormonTemple20101230?authkey=Gv1sRgCPC5wfzp0o6tOw&feat=directlink Body Conclusion Discussion Page History Page Statistics Page Views:  since creating on 20101230

 

Introduction/Definition/etc

 

Visit to DisneyLand on the Beltway,

my first, and deal with the beauty of the place,

and the attempts at conversion, a little hard sell

for my tastes, I'd think you would be hard pressed

to even find a priest or nun or rabbi in most

churches, synagogues, and convents,

but missionaries were everywhere I turned,

trying to talk to me, and I'm basically asocial,

so a little annoying, but they let me in their

house of worship/ visitor's center,

so can't be all that bad?

 

20110102 9.57 am Jerry written up late

 

 

PHOTOS

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/DropInNOW/MormonTemple20101230?authkey=Gv1sRgCPC5wfzp0o6tOw&feat=directlink

 

(PicasaWeb out of gDrug favor,

so sadly doesn't work,

not sure where originals are either...

)

Click link above and then do the slideshow...

Pause on interesting photos, as the timing might be a little fast

to catch the deer, etc...

 

Body

 

Went to DisneyLand on the Beltway

(near MIT, Montgomery In Takoma)

for the first time...  Mormon Temple

(Why is it called a Temple?

Aren't most Christian based religions a Church?)

The Temple is closed to outsiders,

do not allow photos in there,

it's sacred once dedicated,

if you were around 30 years ago before

dedication, they allowed some visitors,

some rumors of a helicopter

putting Gabriel on the spire above,

and all sorts of FUD

(Fear Uncertainty and Doubt)

surrounding this religion,

for a lot of people...

 

But I'd studied up a long time ago,

the original Drop In Center conference

was hosted at a LDS

(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,

aka Mormon, though some think a derogatory/

slight term)

Stake in Springfield/ Franconia area,

and visited a New Years eve party

(my first ride in a MetroAccess

van getting there, well before

I eventually got the service)

was refreshing, as no liquor,

so a sober party,

no mood altering substances,

coffee and sodas included,

so that works well for some,

not for most,

but that's another story...

 

Anyway, one place was going

to the concert at the Visitor's Center,

which is open, and the lights show,

which I had a fair amount of anxiety about,

as I'd seem to have gotten a stalker

out of the research of site locations

for the Fairfax County Drop In Center

conference, and knew there would be

some proselytizing (sp?)

(read attempts at converting,

almost heavy handed,

really, but they were good hosts,

the best conversion expert

wasn't even a missionary

(those young people,

two guys on bikes,

dressed in too formal wear for biking,

usually going door to door

like Jehovah's Witnesses,

and just as tenacious... 

The best at relating to me

was the dad of someone visiting

with his daughters,

who explained a lot about the faith,

building, and people,

mentioned a mote around the church

(drained in winter time)

some signs out along the parking lot

with the architectural info,

and how the restrictions on visitors

in the Temple,

and generally easy to talk to,

without a hidden agenda,

just relating, giving information,

and passing time with his wife

while the kids visit the nativity scenes,

donated by the stakes, like the inside

decorated trees...

 

One very funny thing was the kids,

one hanging on his older brother

or relatives leg, I joked "Quite a boot

you have there", he said that he does that

all the time,

I guess it's a ride for a younger kid,

but getting a little big to have

30-50 pounds on one leg,

dragging along the Visitor's Center floor?

Similar to any pre/ post church play,

I guess.

 

The young ladies had a flag on their lapels/

name tags, I guess giving what languages they

might speak, even a camera crew was there

speaking Croatian or something?

I was just watching other stuff,

and sat down,

carrying way too many bags,

my layers for biking, and some other stuff,

ate outside in the parking lot,

watching sunset on the monument,

in the turn around area, talking with people,

and taking photographs to get everyone

visiting in their photos, to take home.

Oddly sitting next to the nativity scene,

and even weirder, was the blue lights

were moving on me when I turned my head... 

But later realized it was my bifocals,

shifting the light, as it was doing it

with all the colored Christmas tree lights...

 

Eventually herded in like cattle

to the auditorium,

seats 600 people or so, and we filled it,

(had to move over, "It's a rule",

but the front row was too close

to the amplified sound system speaker,

so some of us went higher in the auditorium)

others just had to wait to the second showing,

one playing at 7 pm, another at 8 pm,

but it was getting late, and I'd been up

since 3 am,

watched the Temple Grandin DVD,

writing it up later, like this,

and then there is processing/

uploading the photos above,

making comments and just seeing

how I feel about the whole experience,

tired going back on rail, met a woman,

very interesting to look at/ "easy on the eyes",

is probably the PC term, and talked with her,

only for one stop, I had been on autopilot

so tired I got off at the wrong one,

and then someone recognized me,

as I was saying goodbye to the new woman,

and I really did think the polygamy wouldn't

be all that bad...  At least for the guy,

he doesn't have to be a dog, can be righteous

and upstanding about the polyamoury (sp?)

a little variety, but I can't even support myself,

so that really is not going to happen

even on New Year's Eve, Eve...

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Summary of experience or similar

 

Many years ago now,

much better with the photos,

maybe dig those up some time,

if i find the memory card with

the originals (analogous to negatives),

hopefully I didn't reuse that...

I might have burned to a CD/DVD too,

will see, archealogical (sp?) dig to find,

afaict...

 

Discussion

 

A place for feedback on the page presented

 

What makes a visit good?

What is religion?

Why would you want it?

Why wouldn't you?

What about  the way you were raised?

and biases there?

 

Page History

 

20190521 Jerry

1. link bad, PicasaWeb went Darwinian
2. with G playing G**
3. caught a typo Croation or similar missing an r
4. them mucked up the margin
5. and well, not much to see, without the photos,
6. referenced in DutchOvenBreadsByMarkHansen2019
7. so doing an update/muck with...
8. probably better left an original,
9. but with a wiki it's in there,
10. just PBWiki, you/i have to pay to get it backed up/
11. restored as such...
12.  
13.  

 

20101230 Jerry

• Jerry created this page to ...

 

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