When at the convention ; Top reasons for going

by free2beme 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  free2beme

  I was thinking about this the other day, and wondering what others felt about the District Convention. Namely, what was the main thing you wanted from it? A few I remember were these.

  1. Number one every single year was that I wanted new information on when Armageddon was coming and how close we were to the end. I wanted someone to get up on that stage and say in a serious manner, "Brothers, I bring new light to you today that may frighten you as your life will never be the same from this day forward. Recently the Governing Body has come into new information that shows the end is not only going to be in this lifetime, but this year and the preaching work is over. All who could be saved, are saved and from this moment forward it is about making it to the end and surviving in what will be a troubling time." I know I was not alone, many wanted to hear something like this.

  2. When I was single, I was there to meet other single people and perhaps find someone to marry. Lets face it, when you dated someone, it was with the goal of marriage. So you were not looking for someone to date. I was one horny young person at one time and those young people at the conventions were all on hormone overdrive, admit it or not.

  So why did you go, besides the pressure to do so?
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  Quentin

  Went for almost the same reasons you gave...at the time I simply like going to assemblies...for me they were fun because I sat through very few sessions...there was always a group of us that spent most of our time roaming around, also, the dramas were something new and exciting...but yeah, there was always that anticipation and meeting J girls of course..
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  Highlander

  When I was young, it was all about the swimming pool. After the convention, and dinner, our next stop was the hotel swimming pool where the rest of the evening would be spent.

  As I became older, it was all about the girls. With binoculars, pen and paper in hand, it was time to go on the hunt!
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  serendipity

  AS a kid I also like the hotel and swimming pool and getting to eat out at restaurants. When I was in my teens and twenties, I liked checking out the brothers and also liked the new publications.
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  nowisee

  same as above.... but also i remember the large yankee stadium conventions and hearing, particularly freddy franz and knorr speak. freddy was usually funny, knorr was often booming and condemnatory. we always felt so superior being part of this group. we were the "in crowd". it was also always thrilling to see the gates opened on a sunday afternoon for keynote speech when there were overflow crowds and seeing everyone stream onto the ballfield and fill every open space. the orchestra was always playing majestic music (not kingdom songs) and it could be very emotional and easy to get caught up in "groupthink".
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  damselfly

  I never liked going to these. Long drives to get there and then sit still and quiet all day on uncomfortable seats? No thanks. I only went because I had too (still living at home)
  
  Dams
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  free2beme

  Another reason I went, later in life, was because we often planned an extended vacation after the convention. For example, when we went to Cow Palace, we went on to stay and play at the local amusement parks or hang out in San Francisco for a couple days. Those post moments were fun.
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  dinah

  Free, I always expected to get some exciting inside information on when Armageddon was coming. It was always said to be "very soon". Of course usually all I ever learned was that everything I enjoyed was a vile sin (I am a HUGE music fan--big NO-NO)

  The only real reason I looked forward to them was BOYS. I met loads of them--but the ones I was attracted to were always "too worldly", according to Mom. The hot ones were always worldly. It was the ONLY social event we had. Thinking back kinda makes my skin crawl.
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  fullofdoubtnow

  There was always the new publication to look forward to, although I now realise that it wasn't that new really, just recycled and repackaged information from previous years.

  I also used to enjoy meeting old friends from other congregations I hadn't seen from the previous year.
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  greendawn

  At first it was a serious venue of spiritual information but as I realised that the WTS was not what it proclaimed to be it became a place for spotting pretty girls in the large crowds there.
  
  I remember once how the speaker was blasting university education, and the critics of the FDS as inherently evil gross sinners, I thought that was odd and lost much respect for the WTS. Better look at the pretty girls.