Hey Guys,
I had the weirdest "Kingdom Hall" dream I've ever had last night. So weird and fun, that I want to share it with you! (Studies have shown that reading about someone else's dreams can be fatally boring, so read at your own risk!)
I was visiting my first congregation, the one I was baptized in. I knew perfectly well that I wasn't a JW anymore, and I was just there to "look around". The kingdom hall was more like a stadium; there were thousands of people there. That didn't strike me as odd, but the opening song did -- "Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You". I thought, "That's not in the song book! I KNOW it's not!" So I started hunting for a songbook that I could flip thru, looking for that song.
I ran into one of the elders -- a very nice, very smart, but VERY "company man" elder -- named Jim. Oddly, he had some strange growth on his shoulder, making him appear to be a hunchback. We didn't speak or shake hands, but I did somehow convey to him that I was looking for the lost and found. (I thought there'd surely be a songbook in there.) He led me to a counter (probably the literature counter) and produced the ugliest tie you've ever seen. He offered it to me.
I looked down to find that I was already wearing a tie, but it was one of those thin 80's ties. Apparently he thought I recognized my tie as "inappropriate" and he was trying to help me conform. I said, "Thanks Jim, but I was really looking for a songbook." He pointed to a chair -- his chair, presumably -- under which could be seen a pile of books. I reached down for what I thought was a song book, but upon examination it turned out to be something else.
In frustration at not finding a song book, I yelled out, "Damn it!" As soon as I did, I realized it wouldn't be well-received. But I was also aware that I didn't care in the least.
"David!" he hollered, in shock.
I said, "Jim, honestly, I just don't pay attention to that stuff any more."
He began to shake slightly and said, "You're acting like some sort of .. of.. ATHEIST!" (Quite a leap of logic, I'll grant you, but it's a dream! And it's a product of my atheist brain.)
I was surprised that he "got it" so quickly, so I said, "Wow, how did you know?"
Then I realized he did not suspect it was true, he was only suggesting I was acting like one. A look of supreme shock and disappointment came over him and he yelled out -- very loud -- "F*CK!"
I laughed and said, "Oh my f*cking god, Jim, did you just say that?" He dropped his head and walked off, as if heading for the platform. I slipped back behind the counter to see if I could find a song book. As I searched, I wondered if he was on his way to the platform to let the congregation know I was "off limits" now. I never told him I was officially DF'd, I reasoned, so he had no basis for saying anything at all. I half-listened to the sound system to see if he said anything, but he never did.
As with all dreams, there were little side-roads and oddities along the way that I've left out. One worth mentioning is this: I saw one of the "fringe JW's" -- the folks that come to the Sunday meeting, rarely stay for the Watchtower study, and never go in service. As soon as I saw him I thought, "I'm gonna talk with him, see if I can help him out of this mess." But the dream didn't go that far. I hope he made it out!
I share it just for fun, but if you've got some analysis to toss in, please feel free!
Dave