Re: IMPACT Trainings
Date: May 02, 2009 01:29AM
So, my roommate who is in Impact had some friends over, a married couple in their 40's. He met them on his mission in one of the wards he was serving in. Well, they ended up moving to Colorado, and he signed them up for Impact.
A few weeks ago he had them over on a Sunday to hang out and catch up. I was on my laptop when they came in, so I said hi and was just hangin out. I decided that I was going to go to the girls building in my ward and see who was home. When I came back (from an unsuccessful venture), they asked me how things went and I said something to the effect of "Nope, no success...story of my life, right. (in a joking tone).
That is where all the "fun" started. She immediately wanted to know why I thought that was, and of course I engaged...WRONG THING TO DO. Conversations such as this are not uncommon in Provo, so I wasn't expecting the next stuff AT ALL. She went on to tell me that I had a fear of commitment. When I challenged that off the cuff assumption, she went on to ask me about the relationship of my parents, if I felt pain when they fought. She then told me that I have a problem with confrontation (hahahaha...for those of you who ever meet me...you will understand WHY that "assessment" is more than off), especially with women. She wanted me to sit down and "talk with her about it". I told her I would rather stand...I knew what she was trying to do.
Well, eventually I did sit down, but I was in defense mode now, more or less trying to discuss my way out of this one. She and her husband went on to tell me that i have a very "arrogant energy". That I need to let the "teddy bear" out, because that is probably keeping girls from having relationships from me..blah blah blah. Needless to say I was ticked by now....because again...I knew exactly what she was doing. She was profiling, trying to either find a need, or create one by attacking my self-esteem, and making me question either myself or my situation. Classic sales technique with an "NLP-esque" spin. Then of course is the "building trust" phase (which was actually only making more irritated) where they tried to diagnose and come across as "concerned, loving friends." Eventually they tried to commit me to Impact...I said no.
Anywho, we got off the topic of all that and at one point and her husband and I started talking about my mission. I served in the Seattle Temple after being sent home from the MTC, due to a chemical imbalance (Manic Depression). My mission was very unique and most people don't even know that my mission was even ever an an option.
We went on to talk about Manic Depression, because it is a very, very difficult thing to deal with and I love talking to people about it. Well, his wife was like "Have you ever asked for a blessing to be healed of it?" That question really, really irritated me. My struggle with manic depression has been an incredibly personal one, and i have actually become a lot stronger and more empathetic and Christ-like because of the experience with it that I have had.
(Something about struggling, and feeling emotional or physical pain that makes you feel more and not want to see others hurt...but that is another topic for another day.)
Anyway, they asked me if there was any Manic Depression in my family line. My mom's real dad exhibited a lot of the symptoms of one who has Manic, but she has never let us meet him, because my Grandmother left him before my mom was in high school....so bad dude. We are talking 10-page Excommunication letter with anything bad a human can do listed in it. IN short..a dangerous person. Well, they wanted to know WHY I didn't want to meet him, and why my mom would keep us from him. This scared me...because after hearing about what kind of things he did...I would never want to meet the man, and I don't blame my mother for not trusting someone who is capable of any kind of abuse, committed adultery probably on more than one occasion and was into some pretty dark stuff. I forgive him for doing what he did...but I never want to meet him.
As far as my roommate goes...he moved out at the end of Winter semester.
One other thing that I didn't even realize...is one day he had this fairly large Geode in our room on his dresser With some loose crystals in it. He and his little brother (pre-mission...turning in his papers soon) were fighting over it to some degree...and I couldn't understand why. After I read through this thread I realized.."DUDE MAY HAVE HAD A C-R-Y-S-T-A-L ALTER IN MY ROOM". Or something close to it....maybe not, maybe I am off on that.
oh and Ex....he is not in Lift-Off. He is in LMT (Formerly TIT). He doesn't really see much value in a bachelors degree (although he is still going to get it)...but instead wants to work for Impact as a career and help spread it throughout the world.