I expected to be when I saw her ahead of me in the local Wally world. She pushed past me with a cart and seemed to ignore me. I thought 'just another shunning'.
I was buying Christmas cards on sale for next season, some holiday lights. I saw her again when about to check out - I hesitated entering the same line, thinking I would make her uncomfortable needlessly, and I just didn't need the awkward moment myself. Besides Patti was always one of the 'good ones' in the congregation, and of all the ones whom I could care less about making uncomfortable, she was not one.
Still, I wanted to get out of there, and hers was the shortest line, so I stepped up right behind her, expecting that she would glance and ignore. She didn't. When she recognised me, she beamed and smiled. [Kinda like old friends should ya' know.] She asked me about family, the Grand-Munchins, Wifey, work etc. I asked her the same and we had a wonderful conversation. All the time I am thinking 'I wonder if she knows I have DA'd? I wonder if she has noticed my Watchtower illegal facial hair? I wonder if she noticed that my cart is full of Christmas cards, lights, etc? I wonder if she is curious about the meaning of my "I am a graduate of XJW University - est. 1914" cap? [She did seem to stare a bit at the cap and looked puzzled as if it should makes some sense to her but it did not. LOL.
The whole experience has me wondering if my DA was ever announced at all. I did threaten legal action at one point if they did so, and [little white lie] suggested they wait for an answer from Brooklyn Legal before they made the announcement, as I was planning lawsuits. [In reality I never lettered Brooklyn at all - just a little smoke screen fun I was having during the two week hassle leading to my letter. ]
Whatever the reason, it was nice to be treated as a person, an old friend by her. The vast majority of the congregation has been 'shunning' me long before I Da'd anyway, so it could be that the congo is in the dark as to my 'status'? Who knows, maybe she has left also? That would be good news. Anyway, a nice surprise.
Jeff