Witness girl in the metro

by the real life 5 Replies latest jw friends

  • the real life
    the real life

    This morning on my way to work, I saw a girl reading a New World Translation in the metro. I live in Paris and I don't see witnesses very often, except occasionally holding out magazines in the street looking grumpy.

    I had the urge to talk to her. My reaction is different every time I see witnesses. Usually I'm just curious, sometimes I feel angry and want to yell at them, sometimes I feel sad. Today I kind of wanted to tell this random girl that I used to be a witness, simply because it's interesting to have something in common with a stranger. I imagined all the possible scenarios. She insists on getting my contact information and people start hunting me down trying to see if I'm still interested...or she thinks I'm creepy and wonders what horrible life I must be living now. It made me a little sad to see her today. I kind of saw her as safe, protected, and naive. And I didn't feel like breaking that bubble.

    I know I could never go back to being a witness. I simply don't believe in the doctrines or way of life (some of which are not just incorrect, but harmful), and I refuse to be insincere. But sometimes I miss living in a bubble with lots of easy answers and clear plans.

    Decisions get a lot more complicated when you are actually making them :)

  • zarco
    zarco
    Decisions get a lot more complicated when you are actually making them :)

    Also more rewarding, if they result in good outcomes.

    Being a Witness is living in a bubble, all major decisions are made for you. The girl on the metro will probably have a decent life if she doesn't think too much. If she is a thinker, she will have to learn to live with two minds (or leave). She will need a Witness mind for the things pertaining to her social life, meetings and service and a real mind for things that effect her long term emotional, financial and general well being.

    I enjoy talking with Witnesses, especially if they are "liberals" - it is interesting to see how a portfolio of false beliefs and flawed procedures make us who we are today.

    Next time, you should talk to her/him. It is good for Witnesses to see that former Witnesses are doing just fine and living "the real life"

    Best,

  • zarco
    zarco

    The more I think about the girl on the metro, the more I think she is a thinker. In my entire life, i can rarely recall any Witnesses reading the Bible in public. It is usually the magazines or another WTS publication. Interesting.

  • finding my way
    finding my way

    It is good for Witnesses to see that former Witnesses are doing just fine and living "the real life"

    I think so too. That was one of the many things that woke me up. I had assumed my step Brother was inactive because he liked to have premarital sex with his lady and smoke pot all the time. I thought he didn't want to fess up to the fact he was wrong and he was just being stubborn.

    Sure he does those things, but upon further examination and spending some actual time with him, I found that he has one of the happiest peaceful lives I can imagine, he writes songs that move me to tears faster than any other song can, and I think he's got a beautiful pure heart. He has a song that starts out happy and funky and God is creating the world "and it was good". Then it goes sad and he looks down and sees the world and "It was bad". We both sang and cried together and I felt more spiritually connected with that song than I ever had at a meeting.

    Anyhoo, after spending some time with my step family I could feel the difference between a struggling witness personality and a person being true to themselves. He could be himself and be wonderful and my sisters were constantly going back and forth between laughing with me and telling me how much they missed my laugh, to judging me and preaching to me. They hardly let their authentic self out of the box. They seemed miserable compared to a person who has been freed to be "real".

    Also, I don't think every witness likes their bubble. I never felt easy breezy for more than a month at a time. It was like being bi-polar. I'd LOVE field service and then be horribly depressed.

    ~fmy

  • KingDavidwasframed
    KingDavidwasframed

    I had assumed my step Brother was inactive because he liked to have premarital sex with his lady and smoke pot all the time

    Just remember "It's NOT premarital sex if you don't plan on getting married" ;)

  • Open mind
    Open mind

    Riding on the Metroooo...

    Berlin. One hit wonder, '80s band.

    Sorry.

    Enjoyed your post. Especially this part:

    They hardly let their authentic self out of the box.

    Thanks,

    om

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