Jeff thank you so much for sharing your feelings with all of us here . I can not express myself nearly as well as most of the posters , but reading your words was like reading my own thoughts . Just this last week I too was going through the end of winter blahs missing terribly so many of my former "friends". Everyday I have to pass the homes of those that said at one time they would lay their life down for me because I was their sister .Only to discover once i was out of sight I was also out of mind . It has been a year now since my fade . I have made some friends at work it is slowly improving . I hope the suggestions others made will work for you to make friends too. Last year was to soon for my hubby to go to an apostafest ,but I'm thinking this year may be a go . Our youngest moved to South Bend Indiana, and we were just there visiting last week . Maybe next time we are there we can arrange to meet up for dinner or something .....if you don't live to far from there . Maybe us mid-westerners need to not only send christmas cards , but in March or April send out cheer up winters almost over cards too ! I live in North west IL. three hours from Chicago , if anyone would like to come visit this way some time there is always Ice Tea or a Beer available here !
Maybe I should go back and be a good little dubbie again!!
by AK - Jeff 67 Replies latest jw experiences
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AK - Jeff
Everytime I open this thread I see more replies and my heart is really, really touched.
I am taking it to heart too. I have written a few pages of that novel already, and am busy trying to get on with life. I have tightened some relationships on this board over the past couple days as a result too.
Love to all. We really have to stick together. We have a common bond, that ironically most of us with we didn't.
Thanx for so much encouragement.
Troubledmind - a PM is on the way.
Jeff
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flipper
Jeff - what you were going through is pretty normal feelings after the shunning, surgery - that's major stuff. The way you got out there and handled it was excellent. It's not easy to reach out when feeling so down. I think volunteering is the most spiritual thing there is. Flipper
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Marcel
hi ak jeff!
seriously, your story moves me to tears. im 26 and im already in a similar situation. i dont know how to make friends outside. in fact i dont wanna really. i feel very comfortable with other witnesses even though i dont believe the doctrines. its just i AM one of THEM somehow! i was never 100% sure of doctrines but i washed them away in my brain and did what was expected of me (and sometimes felt even joy with it).
with worldy people i have very lil' in common. no jw jokes, celebration of pagan things i dont long for, other attitude at all. i dont long for worldy peoples friendship very much.
and even if i find very good ones i still lose
- all my friends i know since i was a infant and child. most of them i would trust so much that i would givem all i have to take care of without being nervous. noone can replace my family, my parents, my sisters. my wife.
i would love to make friends with local people who are in the same situation as me. but where to find if not to steal? i even dont feel like going to apostate-meetings yet.
marcel -
mouthy
Jeff((((((((HUG)))) Darling I "aint" called Mouthy for nothing... I have some advice for you. ( from Granny) when they ousted me. I felt like you. & I am NOT a SHY person, but all MY friends were in the LIE... I thought of suicide.... ( I bet some now wish I had followed through with that thought )So I had to do WORKS!!!! Because I still believed the lie( except 1914) so I joined a group called "Mothers & Others Making Change" I used to go to all stores & collect donations ,then rented a table in a market place & sold the donations & gave it to the poor,single,Mums, Dads Aides patient etc; Made TO MANY friends, who looked up to me. Which is a very bad NO! NO! Never look UP to any ( is MY policy now) So I then got out of that & became a Probation Officers aide. ( thought I could led those people who were doing bad things into the" truth"( I still believed it- & thought since Jah had kicked me off the Ark He would let me back in if I still converted others into HIS Kingdom /NOT!!!!) But there I only found out that a lot of JW young men were in trouble quite often. Quite a surprise to me, When the elders came in & made them promise to study with them every night, go to every meeting etc: so they got them off-My Probation Officers told me the kids would have been given a lighter sentence with the courts, But the WT was harder on them..So I left that. Then I went to Pennsylvania ( A BUNCH of Indiana folks who I love were there & found the real truth.... I came Home & started a support group & I have so many friends, I have to pray sometimes "LORD could I have a day off? " LOL.Yes being mouthy helps but YOU sound sensible ( unlike me) & If folks put up with ME.... I am sure you would be great company to be in.
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done4good
Jeff,
It is sometimes true that the non-believers on the board can be a bit more vocal. I apologize if anything I said here may have caused any hurt feelings. These days, I don't get involved in the believer/atheist debates. I don't expect anyone to believe what I do, and am comfortable making friends with anyone despite their beliefs. I travel quite a bit for work, and maybe when I get out Indiana way, I can grab a beer with you.
Jason
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AK - Jeff
Thanx flipper, Marcel and Grace. And thanx for the PM too, Grace.
Done4good. You never offended me. In fact most of those believing different than me [atheist, agnostic, others] have not ever offended me. I had just begun to feel a little apprehensive about my beliefs and posting them here, due to a few instances I had seen here. I can only think of a couple of posters that ever offended me personally, and I just avoid them mostly now.
As for the beer - you bet. Maybe two. + = Sounds about right to me.
Jeff
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done4good
So done4good when you come to Canada ( Waterloo) drop in & see Mary, Bumble Bee, Rosilie,& Mouthy
Absolutely. We have a corporate office outside of Ottawa, (still quite a hike from Waterloo, but a good weekend trip anyway).
Jason
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AK - Jeff
Update:
Next week I attend my first Kiwanis meeting. In June I am scheduled to attend a fund raising breakfast for a local Christian Youth Group that sponsers healthly local venues for the kids. I am getting ready to look into Habitat for Humanity locally.
So, your suggestions, and a few of my own ideas are underway - I am feeling great at the moment - the depression is passed.
Thanx for the support.
Jeff
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