Just one day in the life of a 14 year old boy

by Stealth 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Stealth

  It was just one single day in the life a 14 year old boy, yet I can remember it just as if it was yesterday.

  I had started working my very first part-time job attending gasoline pumps at a small service station. I began this day with much anticipation, yet at the time not realizing that this one single day would prove to make such a lasting impression on my memory.

  As I pumped gas for customers (remember when they did that), from my outdoor one room shack about the mid part of the day I noticed the sky began to darken. Storm clouds began to roll in. The wind kicked up and the temperature dropped quickly. As I stood waiting to pump gas for the next customer, I wondered, would there be another customer. Why would a 14 year old boy wonder such a thing? Because I knew that Armageddon was here.

  That day I witnessed the biggest thunderstorm that I have ever seen in my life, or at least that is the memory that I was left with. The sky turned a dark greenish/gray color, there was heavy rain, high winds and golf ball sized hail.

  I knew that this was it, ARMAGEDDON had arrived. I prayed to Jehovah to spare me even though I felt that I had nothing special to offer him or his kingdom. I prayed for forgivness for everything that I had done that was wrong.

  As the storm cleared as quickly as it arived and the sun came back out, I witnessed the biggest, brightest rainbow that I have ever seen in my life. That day ended just like the day before, Armageddon did not come as I had thought it would. Ah, it was just a severe local thunderstorm.

  Of all of the days of that particular year, I can remember none that left such a lasting impression on my memory as that one single day. What was it about that day?

  That day was 26 years ago today, September, 5 1975. The very day and year that the WTS predicted that the end of this system would come.

  I find the strangest part of this story is that until a few months ago, I would have defended the WTS in telling others that the end was never predicted by the WTS for that year. In hindsight, I now realize that if that had not been true, this one day 26 years ago today would not have left such a lasting empression on my memory.

  It was 26 years ago, yet I remember it just like it was yesterday. Today, my youngest child is 14 years old.

  Did any events of that day or year leave similar impression or memories for any other posters?
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  Abaddon

  Thank you Stealth.

  This is what we are here for, not petty infighting about Anglo Saxon...

  Er... I had a dream after I left that Armagedon came. Just the one, don't remember it really. I woke in a sweat.

  I was, er, nine in '75, so I don't have as clear a memory of the anticipation as you.

  Thanks for sharing. I really identify with what you say about 'a few months ago', as when I left (in '93) so many changes happened so fast!

  Good luck
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  joelbear

  I spent the summer of 1975 at the Governor's Honors Program in Georgia studying Math and other subjects with 399 other bright outgoing kids. I took a chance, I rebelled against my parents, I did what I wanted to do. It was, in many ways, the best 6 weeks of my life.

  I came back to school with a new image of myself. I was editor of the school year book and officer in the Beta and Foreign Language club.

  I simply looked around for the steps toward Armageddon to begin and saw no evidence that they were going to happen. I rebelled against the witness life from 1975 to 1977 when my best friend left for Bethel in November. I missed him (platonically) so much that I quit work and started pioneering and eventually went to the Watchtower Farm. I was in full time service basically for the next 4 years.

  No, in 1975, I wasn't scared, I wasn't even thinking about the end coming. I was having a blast as a high school senior, the first year of school I really enjoyed.
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  Richie

  I was baptized in the summer of 1975, just to make sure that I would be "spared" in case the end would come around September/October 1975 (as was the quiet understanding of many) - Yet the strange part of it all was, although I knew at the time that the witnesses were the ones always talking about the system maybe ending in 1975, that I was made to believe that the Watchtower never ever said or even suggested that the end would come in 1975. In fact, the WT made it a point in several articles that only "the weaker ones were worshipping a date and they were not faithful enough to look for Jehovah". Only recently did I find out (after I severed my ties with them) that the WT was the only channel through which this "prediction" came forth, yet they never admitted it in the first place. How many articles by the Society where they even commended the brothers who left their jobs and livelihood to go pioneering before the end would come in 1975...

  To deny this by the WT and putting the blame on spiritually weak persons is similar to a selling out by abdicating responsibility for their actions. This is only one example of many where the Society led us up the garden path by covering up mistaken interpretations as they understood it at the time, by declaring that it was Jehovah who "enlightened them sothat the light is getting brighter and brighter". Not to mention the many lives of humble people they changed and ruined because of their erroneous directives throughout many decades..... How presumptuous and sad....

  :*) Richie

  :*) Richie

  You are the music as long as the music last...............
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  Stealth

  Hello Richie, Good to meet you.

  You said: "To deny this by the WT and putting the blame on spiritually weak persons is similar to a selling out by abdicating responsibility for their actions."

  While I do remember that day vividly, I guess I was not old enough at the time to go back and look at the facts. I just took for granted that everything that the WT organization said was the truth. So I must of been one of those week ones, and I fell for their blame game.

  Joelbear, Hello good to meet you. I want to tell you that I enjoy your posts and your outlook on life and doing good toward others. Your posts as well as others is my reason for comming here. I remember hitting that rebelious stage about 2 years later.

  Abaddon, good to meet you. Yes there have been rapid changes in my life in the past six months. It's funny how the people that you thought were such good friends can quickly write you off after missing a few meetings. I have not been to a meeting in 3 months and not one single brother/sister/elder/ms has called or emailed or stopped by to see why I am not there. I am glad this place exists for those who are going though these changes in life and knowing others have been through this. Thanks again.