Your worst convention experience. (page 3)

Slavenomore

I couldn't for the life of figure out the excitement aroused by the DCs?! Probably cognitive dissonance kicking in to make the elduhs and dubs feel better about sitting in an echo chamber on hard plastic seats bored out of their gourd. Then again it's like what Steve Hassan says just a yearly reindoctrination! I would sum up all DCs I attended at the Syracuse war memorial, blue cross Rochester and lastly the concrete tomb of Wachovia arena in wilkesbarre as painful memories. Although eating out at fine Thai restaurants with good friends, of which i still have today, made me happy!

From reading hassans book I think that the repetition and ritual at the DCs promoted a hypnotic trance like state to effectively stop thinking and thus be programmed to feel spiritually superior and enlightened. I felt bad for families with small children, what a struggle they had.

Slavenomore

Julia Orwell

International in an Asian country in 2009. I'd injured my back not long before the trip, and the seats in the poor country's stadium were horrendous and made my back worse so I spent most of the convention flat on my back, dozing on the bench in first aid.

The local Asians were great though- so nice to meet them.

ShirleyW

In either 1967 or 1968 although living in NYC our assembly was held in Washington DC, the stadium had no working toilets for all four days of the assembly ! I don't think that would even happen now, there has to be some kind of law for large venues like that to have working facilities nowadays are be shut down, I was a kid then so to me it didn't matter, but just thinking about it now with all the adults and kids and stuff. . . the Society would have a hefty fine to pay if they ever tried to pull that one again.

LisaRose

Dodger stadium, in the eighties, I had two small children. First I had ride a bus the hour plus each way. Broiling in the sun, the umbrellas helping to mitigate the broiling sun, but preventing any air flow. Trying to keep two hot, tired children quiet for the interminable sessions. Getting more tired each day, by Sunday we were all completely worn out. I finally said, enough is enough, we went further to go to an inside convention. Cow palace was no palace, but at least it wasn't the grueling ordeal of Dodger stadium.

blondie

I didn't mind conventions; didn't get to go to many because father not a jw and we didn't have the money for such things. When my mother started saving money out of the food budget, we went to more. It was time away from my abusive father, staying in a hotel, spending time with people from the KH in a social setting. We got to eat at the cafeteria at the DC, real meals. My first 13 years as a jw, no assemblies or conventions. It was great not being around my father. By the time we started going, the conventions in my area were air conditioned, the seats were okay. I would rate the talks like at the KH. My mother would time potty breaks just before the break...no lines. We would sit on end of the row so we didn't have to crawl over others; of course we made sure we didn't sit next to a family that ate and drank during the program. Afterwards there was the swimming pool, extra shows on tv (not porn), a restaurant one night, ice cream on the others. I liked working in food service.

mamochan13

I had a number of bad ones. ONe that comes to mind tonight is the year they decided that strollers were dangerous and not allowed. I had a 6-month old baby and had to travel to another city for the district convention. I recall climbing stairs and walking the aisles with a crying baby and my arms ready to fall off. I was so angry that we were not allowed to have a stroller to walk our babies or put them to sleep. Stupid elders and their stupid decisions.

finally awake

@Finally Awake You should really look at who's account you are on before you post.

I was pregnant when we attended the 2 day assembly in the spring of 2007. I was fat - close to 300 pounds - and very pregnant. The seats in the auditorium were in super long rows, and of course the end seats were already taken before the doors opened in the morning. I absolutely couldn't squeeze past people to get out to use the bathroom.

I have never been pregnat just Ron

LouBelle

each of our end of year, 3 day assemblies were a nightmare. They would happen in December - the middle of summer - hottest time of the year, you'd get burnt to a cindar with the most ridiculas tans.

My worst ever was when I had got my first scrap of a car (there were 2 little mushrooms growing on the back floor - I named them MishMush and LouMush) That summer we had a torrential down pour, my side of the car was rusted at the top and the rain was pouring through onto me. I had to pick up my friend and some elderly sisters. I delivered the sisters to the enterance of the stadium. My friend and I then had to park about 500m away. There was NO undercover. By the time we actually got to the stadium, we were drowned rats, my underwear was dripping. We looked at each other and agreed to go home and change. We changed....and decided to stay at home, and only return to pick up the old dears as the agreed time and place.

Lo and behold my elder uncle phones up and asks where we are, I told him I had enough and was not going to go to the assembly and sit with a bunch of unloving people, who couldn't be bothered to help. He came and picked myself and my friend up. I didn't bother taking my bible or song book and sat with my arms folded, didn't look up a scripture. They had to feed me too. I was being deliberately difficult.

outsmartthesystem

Two of them. 1) While volunteering (back when we served food) and carrying crates full of milk at 7:59 AM.......the "brothers" then opened the main doors. I was bull rushed by all the local brothers and sisters who literally RAN.....elbowing.....pushing.....running....to get to the "barrel seats" and the "gold cup room". I dropped a crate of milk during the hussle and actually received a disgusted "c'mon man!" from one of the "brothers" that I inadvertantly slowed down

We had our conventions at Hawthorne Sports Track in Cicero IL. There were a select few seats in the entire complex that were actually comfortable. Hence the brotherly love that was routinely shown above to claim those seats.

2) It was hot and stuffy. My oldest child was 6 months old. She was hot, grumpy, tired etc. She had been crying all day long. I finally searched and searched for a quiet spot at the Nutter Center in Dayton Ohio. I went to the third floor and sat down with her against the wall, near an exit. 5 minutes later, an attendant comes up to tell me that this is not an approved seat for "convention delegates". I explained my plight......that I needed desperately to find a quiet place so my daughter could nap. He said "that's what the mother's room is for". I said "have you been in one of them? They are filled with other crying babies. How do you expect a child to fall asleep in that environment?" He mumbled something about it being Jehovah's arrangement. I said....."look....I am not causing anyone any harm. i am not disrupting anything. I have found a quiet place for my child to sleep. I am not moving". He said "you're the one disobeying theocratic arrangement. it is YOUR conscience, brother!"

man in black

wow, some of these comments are truly sad, others kind of funny ( probably because I could identify with some situations, such as sitting in 100 degree heat, and getting a totally crazy looking sunburn).

But it just floors me because looking back, it is very scary to see how easily we were all controlled by the witnesses. EX: Don't sit in the breezeway brother, you're going against theocratic direction .

But I can say by reading postings, comments on this site, I've really come to appreciate the honesty shown by the commentors. It takes quite a bit of

guts to be so truthful about such experiences, thank you all for sharing your stories.

But anyway, my worst story is sitting at Cominsky park in Chicago getting roasted alive on a Saturday afternoon, feeling sick, dealing with two boys who were ready to go crazy from sitting in a suit all day. Then fighting traffic, and driving 1.5 hours home and then joining a witness group at the Olive Garden for dinner ( I must have been starting to go mad from the sun). I looked in a mirror and I looked like an anatomy specimen, totally red.

D**n that was really a nutty weekend, and it was all done thinking that God was approving it !

Your worst convention experience.

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