For the Memorial I went to a congregation where I know a lot of people but it's not my "home" congregation so the elders or anyone else wouldn't be asking me where I've been.
It was nice to reconnect with some people I haven't seen in a while and guess what, I think I may have even found one or two fellow closet independent thinkers in the process. Need to feel them out a little more.
Anyway, spending one hour of my life to see a number of people I really do care about and remind them that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth is certainly not the worst way to spend an evening.
Oompa, you just have to decide how important your relationships with your JW family/friends are. I personally have many family in the org and choose not to openly make a break, because for me it wouldn't be worth it. I have extracted one family member by choosing this course... I hope more in the future.
We have been deprived of what we formerly considered our ultimate goal, the lie set before us by the WTS. If we are to avoid sinking permanently into a dark place of hopelessness we need other goals and other challenges to take its place. Helping others seems to fit the bill.