Well, it's over, at last - and what I consider to be our last ever Memorial.
Some of you may know that I have been inactive for almost a year. Almost all of the congregation elders ignored me when I was still going, they would walk right pass me if they could. Since we have been out no one has made any real effort to help us.
I was somewhat nervous about going.
When I got there, the parking lot was fairly full. The congregation rent a hall for the Memorial.
When I entered the main hall, a so-called friend saw me, came up to me and asked me how I was doing. He wanted my phone number which he already had. I couldn't believe it - he hasn't made any effort to contact me for a year and suddenly it's like nothing had changed.
I called these video game moments, you know, when you need to pause the game to go take a leak or get a drink and then you come back and the game resumes where you left off.
There were a few of these moments when brothers and sisters would come up to me, act as if nothing had changed, say a quick hello and then leave as quickly as they came.
Some of the elders who ignored me when I used to go the hall said what could be thought of as a militant hello and then looked away.
Another brother who I used to be on friendly terms with avoided me - we made eye contact twice and he never bothered to say hello, yet after the Memorial his wife came up to me, said hi and then left.
I tell you it's weird behavior. I felt terribly awkward.
The only elder in the congregation who always made an effort with me came up and we started talking. He asked me what congregation I was going to now and I told him straight, I said "you know we don't go to any meetings and we're inactive."
He told me, "I had heard something like that but I don't listen to second hand information" to which I said "you're an elder and the elders know I am inactive"
I told him one of the reasons I left the congregation was because so many people are fake and it seems as if they wearing Jim Carey masks. He listened and then said it was good I showed respect for Christ' arrangement by being here tonight, but that it is a command that we attend meetings. We left on good terms.
The talk itself was dull, the speaker used a lot of modern day recession examples, to illustrate why we celebrate the Memorial, why we have two groups of people and why some partake and some don't. Same stuff I've heard before, nothing new.
I'm so glad it's all over.
