by karter 10 Replies latest jw friends
Hi all, been lerking for a few years now was a J.W for 38 years.
For reasons i may explain later I "Burnt out and faded away" "checked out and left" " No regrets(they don't work).
Ive read alot of stories and can relate to what your saying but was there anything positive you took away from being a J.W??
For me it was the ability to communicate i'm in business when i go to quote a job i'm at ease explaining things and getting my point across.
What about you ??
Welcome to the forum, Karter.
I'd agree that our practice up on the stage has helped many of us overcome a fear of public speaking. We may not be the best, but we can speak out in front of others or in a group.That does help in the workplace.
Also my parents built road trips around asemblies/conventions we attended. We used to go to states in the American west, and after the convention was done we'd go see tourist sites and take nature drives. I'm not sure many other JW families did it, but we did.
Also you do get accustomed to being unpopular and in the minority. So when that happens in adult life, it isn't hard to face because we've all felt "out of the loop" many times due to our JW-ness.
Welcome karter! My best take-away from the borg was to realize I could survive without being in the majority in any situation. As a dub, survival wasn't easy as we did a lot of dumb stuff like door-to-door and standing on the street corner hawking rag mags. So through life I've been willing to take a different path and not be crushed by the mainstream group think. Gets me in hot water occasionally, but hey, hot water feels good now and then. As to making one a good public speaker, I'm sure the ministry school helped, but there are millions of good public speakers out there that never stepped foot on the kingdumb hall platfform or had the bounty of being critiqued by the ministry school servant. carmel
They say in life, That which doesnt kill me makes me stronger.
I am now cynical and somewhat paranoid. No longer childlike or sheeplike. Not very gullable, show me the money.
I like the kindness and patience that my hubby aquired from them. Well, like i've told him before, I think those traits are his personality and not something that was taught, but oh well.
Welcome!
changeling
Welcome! I put in 38 years myself. A fader also. Happier than ever to be free!
In hindsight, I think being a JW kept me out of a lot of trouble as a teenager and probably gave me values I still stick to. But also in hindsight, I still wish my mother would have stayed in the Baptist church instead of getting us involved with the JW teachings. The bad outweights the good.
Welcome to JWD, karter
My time in the organization was well spent.
Not only do I excel in selling thermal heat pumps in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, I can also prove how wrong most Watchtower Society doctrines are in less than 8 sentences.
I learned how to use theocratic warfare against all comers.
Welcome karter,
I believe there is good and bad in everything. Take the Catholic church for example. Can anyone say that everything anyone has ever done in the name of Jesus is a bad thing without exception? Personally, I don't care for rituals and I'm not cut from that cloth but despite myself sometimes, I can't help but notice that somehow, someway, some people's hearts are in the right place. Where they go however many times a week to do what is really none of my concern. If we get along, we get along. If not, f*** 'em.
In the bigger picture, most people don't really know or give a rat's a$$ about the dubs or their agenda. And like most people, what matters is what matters to you.
So, whatever you take away from the dub experience, take it and turn it into something "good". Because that's all that matters.
karter,
First of all, welcome to JWD!
I too found some benefits in JW training. As I got into sales, fear of talking to strangers and rejection were not a problem. Public speaking I feel very comfortable with.
I hope you stick around!
JK
