Michael Jackson has been quoted as having no friends. Some here would like to blame his JW upbringing.
Being a ExJW, do you have trouble making and/or keeping friends?
Philip
Has being a JW effected your ability to make or keep friends?
by PEC 22 Replies latest jw friends
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lurk3r
Huge. Growing up as a JW, and in turn becoming dependant on a lifestyle with superficial as the base, making quality friends on the outside is tough. Keeping friends, can be tough too, you need a lot more than meetings and Borg Service in common to maintain something thats actually real.
On the flip side - its great to know what a real friend actually is.
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EverSoGrateful
lurk3r is SPOT ON!
It's very difficult to create TRUE friendships & nurture them after the borg.... but it's something that you learn to do....to really enjoy the company of someone because of who they are & what they like to do etc..... I never understood how you are friends with someone in the borg...just because you are in the borg! There are some IN THE BORG, that I would NOT choose as a friend on the outside..... it's just another eye opening learning experience! I remain... verSoGrateful tht I am no longer in the borg!!!!!!!!!!!! woo hoo!!!!... what a gift!
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shopaholic
Yes...it takes a lot of work. Its not automatic like it is when just show up at KH and you instantly have 150 busybodies, I mean friends in your life.
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lurk3r
EversoGrateful and Shopoholic, my thoughts exactly. Growing up and moving around a lot, no matter WHERE you went, you always walked into a new Hall and presto! The less you knew about life, the better a Witness you were...the easier it was to associate with others. Even through the varying degree's of "spirituality" that people had in the hall, pretty much EVERYONE had one thing in common - I just didnt realize it was retardation at the time. Seriously though, it was a cinch in so many ways. Hell, you didnt even have to pay attention..lol
Being a dub, no matter what the question was, there was ALWAYS an answer. Often times it was a reply, but it was still an answer of sorts. You could NEVER, EVER, actually just BE. Be.
You are left to figure shit out for yourself when you leave. That takes some serious time too, and there is a LOT. In that period of time, your learning, and it's those things that many people already know. About the world, and more importantly themselves.
Yeah. Not only do you have to try and figure out the "world". You have to figure out who you are. Double whammy...and if you get caught up thinking about the things that don't really count, it's even more difficult. Nope, difficult is an understatement.
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JimmyPage
Which further begs another question: is it therefore easier to make friends with an ex-JW and keep such a friendship?
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AllTimeJeff
Sadly, in my case, that has been true thus far...
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Awakened at Gilead
Me too, I am finding it hard to make friends... I mean I count many JWNers as my friends, but I have very few locals who I can say are my friends. I can count them on one finger
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StoneWall
I will be a friend to all of you :)
*starts counting how many beers are in the fridge and looking to see if I got any pretzels left*
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JimmyPage
Beer. It's not just for Bethelites anymore.