When I was 'growing up' in d troof my mum and dad taught me to go up to the speaker after a public talk and tell him what a good talk it was and how much I enjoyed it - looking back it's not very christian to teach a child to lie is it?!
When I started giving ministry school talks ( when I was 5 or 6 I think) of course loads of old dears would come up and congratulate me on my talk. When i eventually gave a few public talks I soon realised that the same old names used to come up and say some pleasantries - I remember thinking that they were not very genuine.
Also, when it really was a totally crap public talk I made a point of going up to the speaker afterwards and telling him how I thoroughly enjoyed the way he delivered the talk.
When you were little, did any of your parents ask you on the way home in the car what you got out of the meetings? Mine did regularly, so I made sure I would listen and remember one comment in detail so that I could pretend that I had been listening!
"i enjoyed your talk Brother"
by fleaman uk 27 Replies latest jw friends
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south african beef
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BluesBrother
It occurred to me how robotic Bros and sis were when it came to giving praise!No matter how crap the talk was,one would always get a "i really enjoyed your talk brother"
Yes , I had a few of those comments in my public talk giving days, especially if you visited another congo. It seemed almost as though they had to say it , as when complimenting a host on a cooked meal.
I know some though who do take notice and listen. My wife can, if the talk is a good one, repeat almost everything he said . Sometimes she will recount a talk heard years ago , and wonder why I cannot remember it!
Most of the congregation though were in the daydream mode , with just occasional points going home. An elders school instructor once said the same thing , "We like to think that we have made a lasting impression but in reality it is all forgotten by Monday morning"
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solo
I think my lack of concentration when anyone is talking for longer than a minute is due to the fact that I had to sit and listen to drivel for 20 years. I just used to switch off and my mind would wander from one thing to another.
I never remebered a thing from the meetings and I never told anyone their talks were enjoyable - why encourage them!
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xjwms
This brought back a number memories
and I don't miss those words either.
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SirNose586
You know, sometimes I would get comments from people after the watchtower even though I hadn't commented! "I really enjoyed your comment, brother," I heard one time.
"But...er...okay. Thanks." And I knew I hadn't said anything. Maybe it was my dad's comment...?
I made a resolution to not go up to the speaker unless I could comment on a particular feature of his talk. I dreaded being asked, "What did you like about it?" and not having anything to say.
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purplesofa
i fineally started to learn how to filter out the BS in a talk. If it was too difficult to filter.........I went into ignore mode. And If I really started zoning out, I would say I was sick and leave.
At least in the WT study, there was talk and movement. You could be bored and not be so noticed.
Its amazing how you can learn to sit for an hour and be a statue.............Go into your own little world and block out the BS. BUT, just becuase you were SEEN at all the meetings you were spiritual.
purps
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frankiespeakin
Durring my last couple of years "in the truth"(sic), I mastered the ability to sit upright with my eyes closed and asleep durring the service meeting, school, and public talk. Public talks were the easiest(most boring), most speakers would look up one scripture after another with a disjointed connecting statement in between(coherence thru connectives puke) I think the CO's encouraged the brother to not deviate from the outline provided by the Society which made them even more boring, and less coherent than the days when they were allowed to deviate somewhat.
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fleaman uk
It's nice that they're supportive, but you'd think they could spice up their lingo a bit. Wouldn't it be nice to hear, just once, someone say, "Brother, you really made that talk your bitch!" Lol..thats superb.