Did you feel euphoric at conventions? Anyone go to Dodger Stadium?

Tired of the Hypocrisy

I did for a couple of years. I was involved with setting up food stands and night security. I really felt like I was contributing and this made me feel great!

mrsjones5

Yes, after is was over but that feeling quicky went away...soon as we got home

Not if you call being rejected by all the "sisters" being euphoric. (And no, I didn't have any weed to smoke while at the Grand Boasting Sessions). Especially after the first one when everything was a big letdown.

The best part is the ones I blow off.

Pahpa

Yes, I well remember those feelings at the large assemblies (eight days) at Yankee Standium and the Polo Grounds. It was especially true when thousands would raise their voices in the songs. But I was young and single at the time. In later years, I found the large assemblies a real chore. Often we had to sit in the bleacher sections in the hot sun with our children. We had to stand in long cafeteria lines to get a bite to eat. And we would come back to our rooms late in the evening exhausted. Later, all the information at the assembly would be available in the Watchtower articles in the next few months.

When I found out that the members of the Governing Body and other "special representatives" of the Watchtower who attended these same assemblies sat in air conditioned club houses and were served special menus my own disillusionment started. It took a few years but it finally hit home that this was not "God's organization."

Satanus

Yah, most of the time, i felt really good being at assemblies. Later on, the buzz wore off, but i had friends there. Sometimes, they were a bit long, but mostly i liked them.

S

LongHairGal

Yes, I was one of those dopes who was euphoric at the district convention in the early years. Once, I even cried on the last day when we were driving away.

I might mention this was when I was younger and before I became disillusioned. In the early days I got a ride there and it was an INDOOR convention facility and there wasn't the insane mad scramble for seats. I can't imagine anybody being euphoric at an outdoor assembly sitting in the broiling sun trying to juggle their bible, an umbrella or a cold drink.

LHG

Texasgurl

Not at Dodger Stadium, but at the Astrodome in Houston, Tx.
Yes! I loved the conventions! Especially when we made food early in the morning. I liked the sub sandwich or roast beef assembly line. I felt like I was important somehow. The elders always smiled approvingly... :)
I loved getting new dresses to wear, especially the best one for Sunday! Walked around as a teenager hoping the boys would notice me.
Then there were the great speakers. I remember a few who were exceptionally good. Misterfield(sp?) was one. They could talk you into buying anything! (did I say that?) Well, that is what makes a good salesman, right? Some did seem truly heartfelt.
The euphoria....wow....listening to everyone sing so loud after a great final talk! I wanted the whole world to be like that. I wanted to reach out and hug everyone!
Really though, they weren't all like that. When I grew up and had children and missed a lot of meetings, I felt like I was being poked with daggers of guilt for not being in service enough, for not praying enough, and for having a child who misbehaved. I would get very down and feel worthless during the "Are you doing all you can do" talks. Seeing the sister with 5 children and no husband standing on the stage giving her example of how she works a full time job and still regularly auxillary pioneers with all her kids. If she could do it, why couldn't I??
I really don't miss feeling like that at all!

Hortensia

yes, I remember Dodger Stadium, I don't remember how many times we went there, but it became very familiar. Until I was an adult, it was loads of fun. Everyone seemed so excited and happy and there were lots of people to see and talk to. Later, it became tedious and kind of depressing. do you remember the Rose Bowl with 100,000 people on Sunday? The world's longest closing prayer and the world's worst traffic jam after that?

yknot

I have only attended DCs in Houston, San Antonio and Belton.

When we lived in Houston, we would arrive so early that we were still in our PJs. My mom had made some bedrolls that had a blanket and small pillow attached. We would be put into an area where other sleeping children were while our mom's completed their volunteer assignments. Then about 30 minutes before everyone started to arrive all of us would be woken up and dressed. When our parents both had assignments during the DC presentations we would all sit with two sisters. I loved those days, the KH I attended was very close knit. If all of us were really good during the DC days we got to go to the zoo the following weekend as one big happy KH family.

In San Antonio only the dads volunteered. So we would get to stay asleep in the hotel. The big thing then was walking to & from the DC with all the other witness moms and children. We were told to be on our best behavior so as to give a good silent witness to the wordly folks. It was a bit more boring then Houston but we were expected to take notes by then. This is when I really started to notice the dramas. Again if we were all good children we would be rewarded in the evenings with trips around the Riverwalk and boats rides. Once in the boats we would sing Kingdom Melodies..... two or three boats full of JWs singing at once... These activities kept us all in line even as the DCs began to change for the worse....

Then our DCs were moved to Belton......... I hate Belton. There are no rewards in Belton that are worth mentioning. Everything is regulated and monitored! Notes are inspected by parents or elders..... The only positive thing I can think of is cleaning the Expo center seems to take less time then Houston or San Antonio.

But with the return of most of my peers it was quite fun this year. and yes I was finding myself euphoric and being sucked into the phony glee of the DCs !

LDH

Even though I felt very left out as a child also, the Assemblies were a reward. I have almost the exact same memories as Bonafide but on the other side of the country.

The dramas. Leaving your seat 15 minutes before lunch break to get geared up. For YEARS and I do mean that. We arrived at 5 am, made food served it, sat through the morning session then ran back to serve lunch.

There was a true feeling of fellowship--we were brainwashed so I didn't realize it wasn't the truth.

Bonafide, you must have also been raised by Uber-Witnesses.....that was the end-all and be-all of our existence. We lived to serve. If we were in Sodom we probably would have been offered up to the angels.

Texasgurl.....you must lurk a lot! What a great second post.