That one good friend

by ballistic 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ballistic

  I don't know. Recently I have an obsession with past times, I guess it's called middle aged or old aged, anyway.

  I'm sure anybody out there remembers people from their childhood or growing up and thinks not a lot about it.

  I remember some good JW buddies and here's an ode to them.

  I met one outside a local cafe, and we stopped and looked at each other for 45 seconds, or what seemed like forever. Because we lived in each others pockets and we got on so well. We would sit at our IBM 286 PCs and play Wing Commander to the late hour, and there was no internet. It was just us. It was special. We also were drinking whisky. yeah, serious. Drunk JWs. Times were great.

  Then there was my other mate. Here's an ode to him too. Mr C had a great IT job. I looked upto him, I was very young, I also fancied his sister. I liked this guy a lot. I evenb trie to google him recently, does that make me really spooky or what? I loved that guy. It's very sad I'll probably never see him (or his sister) again. Good luck man, you were a good guy, 192.com says youre still alive... somewhere.

  My other mate died, long time ago, I can't tell you this guy was funny and a one off. without saying too much. God rest his soul.

  So here's to people we once knew, don't hate them all. Some exist in our memories, and probably will for a long time to come.
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  ballistic

  I forgot to say, tell me who you miss?
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  steve2

  It's completely normal to reflect upon warmer memories and wish the people we loved and befriended were still around - even when relationships end, we still hanker for their golden age. I'm sure that even when JWs left "the churches of Christendom" to become witnesses, they would ponder the old friendships and ties they'd left behind. The sadness that we feel is a reminder of how important our attachments and friendships are.
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  journey-on

  They were old friends that just happened to be JWs, ballistic. I think we, as ex-JWs, tend to over-emphasize the JW part of it sometimes. Recently, I was invited to a function where there were four or five old JW friends there. They know I no longer believe the org has "The Truth" and that I haven't attended meetings in forever, but they seemed so genuinely happy to see me again and not a word was mentioned about Jehovah or the meetings, or any of it. We were just happy to reconnect on a simple "old friend" level. It warmed the cockles of my heart!
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  Flat_Accent

  The one friend I had during my time as a witness, left the organization several years before I did. We hadn't spoken since his departure, until recently when I found him on facebook. He's such a different person now, it's as though I never knew him at all, which makes me even sadder.
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  MrFreeze

  There are a couple people that I miss but they clearly don't miss me.
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  finally awake

  There is one friend I miss terribly, she stopped going to meetings around 5 years ago. I don't know how she feels about the WTBTS and I don't know how to approach the subject with her or if I even should. We live in a very small town and I see her around from time to time.
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  Twitch

  I don't miss anyone from the JW days but certainly don't hate any of them.
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  exwhyzee

  It's great to run into an old friend such as the one you describe. You sort of just pick up where you left off as if the years were just a comma in a long running conversation.

  You aren't often able to make friends like that as you get older. Theres only a certain number of years when you are an open book and have time to invest in forming close relationships. More is the pity (for me anyway) that our opportunities to make friends was limited to whomever happend to be in the same kingdom hall we attended. More often than not, there were very few to choose from....and anybody we liked from say, school or work was off limits and we certainly didn't know anybody from a sports team or club.

  Most people I work with have a lifetime of friends they've gathered from school, work, clubs, sports, church or friends of friends, that stuck with them through all their liffe's changes. They weren't required by the authorities at their old school, job or club or by their mutual friends, to drop them because they changed their view of religion.
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  smiddy

  My wife & children had a few very good close freinds who we regulary associated with inside and outside the congregation,meals at each others homes,outings at resturants,camping at national parks and genuinely enjoying each others company,us adults and all our children got on well together,this taking place over a period of 15 / 20 years. A few of these people I have contacted in recent months,one couple said they didn`t want anything to do with us unless we came back to the org.Another couple was polite ,but has never got back to us,a couple have ignored us,and one said it was sad we left the org. because the end is now so close.We have many photo`s of the happy times we had with these people and we cherish those moments,but if they dont want to know us now that`s their loss,I just feel sad and pity for them.Incidentally some of their own children have nothing to do with the religion anymore.

  smiddy