by ex-perfectdaughter 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
My hubbie and I were just talking this morning about the fact that we actually had time to talk to one another. When we had to rush home from work, eat a fast bite, go to the meeting, come home and dread going to work the next day because you were going to be tired, we didn't have time to communicate.
Now, we can lounge about on a Saturday morning, have time to do yard work and sit back and have a cool drink, wash the car, or take a drive.
Yep, feels good.
Hi...and welcome!
I can't tell you how it has been such a heavy burden lifted off my shoulders not to have to worry about so many meetings!!! I use to wake up on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and dread the meeting the whole day.
I can very much relate to your feelings! I had to 'pinch myself' as I felt so relieved that my life was no longer dominated by the meeting requirements. Life certainly took on a new meaning
Meetings were either a panic session, trying to fill all the responsibilities that were shirked, or a total bore. Now I find that I have so much time for myself it seems overwhelming. Trust me, I'm doing just fine.
Ran into an elder who talked to me while I was in my car leaving the parking lot of our local shopping center. "We miss you at the meetings, of course you know I'm gonna say that" said he. I thought, "No you don't. Better yet, I don't miss you either."
W.Once
I haven't been to a meeting in over ten years, and still, several times a week,
I sigh with relief that i don't have to do that anymore.
When you think about how hard it is for adults how do little kids do it? They are in school all day and then meetings at night Sat and Sun aren't days off either. Around here the Tuesday night meeting is not over till 9:15 pm or so and then you may not get home till close to 10:00pm how do they go to school the next day with so little sleep?
I have another question about meetings.....there has been other posts about the simplification of the Society. Assemblies have been shorted and simplified....hour requirements for pioneers have been reduced. Why oh why have they had the same amount of meetings that they have had a hundred years ago????? Why haven't they been "simplified" for the good of the people? My thinking is it doesn't benefit the Society at all to have less meetings. Simplified assemblies and more pioneers staying on the list does benefit the Society but not fewer meetings. If they truly were looking out for their people they would lessen this load. Times are so much different now then they were 100 years ago. I think it's cruel that they make people feel substandard if they don't attend all the meetings all the time, no matter what else good they may do.
Just my rant :)
That constant stress is wonderful.....dashing home from work.....showering......putting on a dress.
It got to where I liked meetings less and less, and I wore nice pants to the last two meetings I attended. Their saying that womens pants are the same as mens clothing is a bunch of crap. That is just more of the control they want over everyones lives. People in Jesus's day all wore simular clothing, and Jesus didn't say "hey you women can't wear robes anymore because it makes you look like men" ummm--- Or should I say " you men can't wear robes anymore cause it makes you look like women.
I love it!..Haven`t stepped foot into a KingDung Hole for decades..It was murder as a kid..They kept you up late and you had school in the morning..Child abuse!...OUTLAW
I haven't been to meetings in almost 12 years. But I do remember the feeling of dread waking up on a meeting day. After all the other things we had to do, school, work, homework...I know I had to cram in my last minute studying of whatever literature, and everybody in my fam was stressed out getting ready and dad yelling at us to get our asses in the car, eating something quick or sometimes not at all instead waiting until after the meeting. Finally getting there and trying to be friendly and loving to everybody even if I didn't really give a shit. Making sure to get my two token 'answers' in, maybe more if I was feeling frisky. Getting home late after my mom talked to EVERY one in the hall. Ugggh.
OUTLAW
Hi OUTLAW,
Thanks for the nice welcome
Annie
I stopped attending meetings back around September 2001. At the time, my thoughts were "I just want to take a break from this for a couple of weeks." The couple of weeks turned into a couple of months, and I found that I didn't miss the meetings at all. It was a giddy feeling to wake up on Sunday mornings, knowing that I wasn't going to go, and not feeling the slightest bit guilty about it.
Nowadays I don't really think about it unless I happen to drive by a KH where there are cars or people in the parking lot. It seems so surreal to me now that I was a part of all that once, I just giggle at the silliness of it, that I once took life so seriously and dramatically that I would join a religion like JW's.
