Let's get that field service time in...

by Jim_TX 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  Jim_TX

  I normally don't go around looking for JWs. I feel like I have moved on enough that I don't really care about JWs - or what they do (or don't do).

  But - sometimes - when they jump up right in front of your face - it's kinda difficult to ignore 'em.

  I suppose that happened to me this morning. After my morning coffee and breakfast taco at Jim's, I went over to Big Lot's to look around. Outside of the store, they have an island where a couple of trees were either saved - or planted - and provide a nice shade during the day.

  Under these trees, in the shade, was this fella - dressed in nice slacks and a shirt - wearing a tie - reading - or flipping through what appeared to be an 'awake' or a 'watchtower'. I didn't stop to talk to him - and he wasn't trying to get anyone to stop and talk to them - he was just standing there - in the shade.

  I went inside the store - and did a bit of shopping - then looked outside at this fella. He went to his truck, and opened the passenger side door - but didn't toss the magazines inside. Instead - when he came back around - he still had the magazines in his hand - and folded them in half - and stuffed them into his pocket. He then walked inside the store - where he roamed around for about 15 minutes.

  I was standing in line - waiting to check out, when I saw him leave - not buying anything. He got into his truck and left.

  I suppose that'll go down on his time slip - standing around - being seen - in the parking lot. But not saying anything.

  In a way... I feel sorry for someone like that. But then again...

  Regards,

  Jim TX
• 

  HappyDad

  Pathetic! But then again I fudged my time slip in similar ways when I was an elder. Had to have the magic number every month! Once I resigned as an elder, I was lucky if six hours was a good month. And some of that was fudged too!

  HappyDad
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  cult classic

  It rarely crosses the mind of the "publisher" how uncomfortable it is to be out in field service. I was always so uncomfortable in the ministry. I am rather reserved and absolutely hated approaching strangers with the kingdumb message. It is really pathetic and it makes me sad to think how many witnesses really struggle to get that field service time in......
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  OnTheWayOut

  Good observation on the "counting time" method. I was on vacation with my wife and we had to take a ferry from one island to another. My wife's JW friend lives on the island we were going to. We arrived and a bunch of people are walking off the dock. A group of ladies is sitting on a bench in the park in the middle of the traffic circle. My wife's friend is among them. They are talking and talking to each other and the entire mob of people is walking left and right of them but all a good 20 feet or more away. Nobody came near them.

  I notice as we walk up that they have their mags in their hands as if they are displaying them, but a person would have to come closer to see what the mags were about. No matter, they keep talking to each other and enjoying the nice day. We actually step up to them as my wife goes to greet her friend.

  The "sisters" go on and on about how they got their time started early and found a great parking space to work the area and how it was so great that they were able to get here and have this bench. It was all about the time, the parking, the location in the shade. Nothing was said about how they had helped anyone or even had any good conversations with people. I am quite sure they weren't concerned about such trivial nonsense as that, but were happy to punch the clock for Jehovah who had blessed their efforts.
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  yknot

  ........ well good for him!........

  Better that than bother people at their homes and stumbling upon a person in the throes of personal crisis!

  Just think of it has him making 'fine progress' into just out and out fudging his numbers....... (ie throw the Asleep/WT on the dash, run errands and call it a day).

  In a year he might even be posting here.........
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  Purza

  I wish I would have thought about turning in my time like that. I was always so anal about how much time I put in and I never rounded up to an hour (even though I wanted to). I had to put in a FULL hour in order to count it. It amazes me how meaningless it all is now. Why did I care so damn much?!?!

  Purza
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  WTWizard

  Anything to waste their time. I can remember once when we went into a bookstore, with a pocket full of wastes of paper. Everyone else went toward customers. On the other hand, I went where there were none--and spent more time looking at books than anything else. That wasn't a total waste, since I made a return visit on the bookstore 3 years later and bought one of the books I had browsed through (Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills). Which was much better than any Washtowel littera-trash.

  On the other hand, I have been through situations where I actually wasted the time. I have been in groups where we were going to do informal witlessing in hospitals and nursing homes, and I felt totally out of place there. Needless to say, I never placed so much as a solitary waste of paper in one of those places.
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  cult classic

  I'm w/ you Purza, I kick myself for taking it sooo seriously for so long...
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  tiki

  Well, you know...you gotta get your time in or you'll be bloodguilty...someone out there will die at Armageddon because you didn't do your thing.....
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  BluesBrother

  I suppose that'll go down on his time slip

  Supposition can be dangerous..Perhaps he was just waiting for someone who didn't show up and was reading his mags while he waited?