Car Full of JW's while I'm at the Car Wash............

by Terry 68 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Terry

  Well, now that I've had time to collect my thoughts and sort my feelings...

  Here is what I think was going on.

  Imagine losing your whole family and one day they drive up in a car!

  But--here is the twist--you are just a stranger to them!

  I was deeply saddened that they didn't love me. That's all. I was garbage.

  I knew that deep down nothing I could or would say would make me anything other than a lost soul and a liar in their eyes.

  It was one-sided and unfair.

  To find myself suddenly in that position was ridiculous.

  I did make absolutely certain I began and ended my words with a polite "Sir". I was respectful.

  I also remember that, at one point, the man didn't have anything to say and I responded, "Sir, you asked me and so I answered you."

  I just wanted to be seen as polite, respectful and not a wild-eyed, angry mental defective.

  I'm guilty until proved innocent....
• 

  unshackled

  I know the feeling, Terry. Regularly I bump into JWs that I know and used to be friends with. Rarely does one of them say a kind hello. Most quickly pretend they didn't see you or turn away as if I'm Medusa. Others give a smug look of condenscending judgement.

  The thing that pisses me off each time is how high they are on themselves. They are so certain they are a superior people, everyone else is bird food. And I realize I used to be the same way. Which pisses me off even more. IF only they knew how wrong they were.
• 

  Reality79

  These people are so f*cking unimportant and pathetic it's a shame they still have that kind of effect on many people who leave the cult.
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  designs

  Terry you did alright. Its unnerving the situation that arose and you handled it alright. In there mind you were excused as fast as they could get to the first Stop Light. We all know how that works.

  I had three Witnesses come in to my Store Saturday, they were on their coffee break, one sort of knew I had been a Witness, they were polite and asked about Solar so I told them a little introductory stuff and mentioned that several Non-Profits and Churches in the area were having Solar put on their facilities just to gently let them know that 'Others' were doing something Green. I shook hands with them and they were off.
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  steve2

  On the spur of the moment, you revealed your disfellowshipped status to a JW stranger and the ensuing exchange left you in an even more emotionally aroused state. Those emotions sometimes come right out of the blue to kick us and remind us we're human. There was nothing right or wrong about your experience - it happened way too unexpectedly and fast. Be compassionate to yourself Terry but do give some gentle thought to what you might do differently if there is ever a next time (clue: you appear to still have the need to try to reach JWs with heart and reason which is fine -- but when they give the official replies, it leaves you very vulnerable)!
• 

  Rocky_Girl

  You did well. I am sure they heard the sincerity and the emotion of your experience in your voice. That is worth so much more than a string of information that they are prepared to blow off as apostate lies. Good job.

  Though, I'm sorry you had to endure that rush of panic and pain. It does get better with repeated contact. They come to my door all the time, so I have gotten used to it.
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  EmergedAsMe

  I am normally a lurker, but I had to comment.

  Even though you obviously were a bit shaken up, I think your words may have actually had a powerful affect. As a born in yada yada, I would always want to hear why people left the JWs (unfortunately most times they were cut of by a "mature" JW) I think on some level I knew I was going to leave someday, and I clung to every tiny piece of evidence that you could leave the JWs and be OK. Truthfully meeting an ex-JW who was "allowed" to talk for long enough, or who talked respectfully enough was so rare I can count the incidents on one hand - but they stuck with me.

  And I agree with No Room for George that hearing someone speak respectfully about their experiences of the 1975 incident would make you a bit of a JW legend :)

  PS you are an excellent writer, and you should write a book (make a kindle version), I was completelu drawn into your story :)
• 

  Black Sheep

  You didn't need a last shot, you had already got a good one in for them all to mull over.

  "No sir, I DON'T know that. How can I? His people and His organization are all I had to go by."
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  darth frosty

  The conditioning and its effects are very powerful! Of that there is no denying.
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  aSphereisnotaCircle

  I hate it that after all these years they can still punch my buttons too.

  I just wanted to be seen as polite, respectful and not a wild-eyed, angry mental defective.

  If I could only manage that, I would consider it a success.