Another in a series of public services for those who have the unenviable task of attending the Memorial or any other WT gathering on a rare occasion...
So you're going to the Memorial. It's been a whole year or more since last stepping foot in a Kingdom Hall.
Your going to this meeting probably means that you're going to be with family members who are JW, but understand to some degree your reluctance to come to the hall anymore or have resolved themselves to losing you to Armageddon. But you're a good egg...if it makes them happy that you attend this one "special" meeting, you go along with it knowing that in a hour or so, you'll be home watching HBO or in a bar enjoying a cold drink.
You're not bothered by the ritualistic nonsense or the droning of the ill prepared and unqualified public speaker of this event. You've come to terms with all that. You know it's BS and you know how to zone out during the dullest part. But before and after the meeting itself you will undoubtedly be approached by people that you used to consider "friends" or in the least "brothers" or "sisters" in faith.
How will you react to their various reactions to seeing a one time "brother/sister" come back to grace their presence?
In a normal social setting, people tend to say, "Good to see you" or "It's been awhile" or "How have you been". These are ice breakers, not really a serious introduction into telling them about your goiter that you had cut out.
But in JW settings, the faithful sometimes have a way of greeting inactive ones in a condescending way. "Oh, we've missed you so much" or "I hope to see more of you soon". These are not sincere remarks. If they really missed you, they could have called you. Hoping to see more of you isn't an invite to have lunches at Olive Garden for the endless salad bowl. No, they're making a little dig at you're not being at the meetings.
Unfortunately, this is not really the time or place to get into a free-for-all with them. Since you're the one going out of your way to be that good egg for your JW family, you have to temper your disdain for this behavior with a simple, friendly remark, not instigating anything yet not letting them get away with their condescension.
I'm also curious how different people would react to similar situations. Some are quick with witty replies...others, hours later finally come up with a pithy remark. Some take no shit off nobody, some are willing to ignore the stupidity of ignorant people and move on like nothing happened.
Take for instance, "We've missed you so much". How would you reply to that without being snarky, yet showing a confidence in yourself and that you don't really miss them or their meetings?
What are some of the conversation starters that you've had to endure on those rare JW social settings/meetings? And how did you respond... or wish you had responded?