Akward Runs in with Congregation Members

naazira

I had such an embarassing encounter with a memeber of the local Kingdom Hall once. Mind you have I have been fading for over 6 months, and I've had no contact with anyone at the hall. I was walking up the stairs to my psychiatrist office when I heard other people behind me. We became even and OH CRAP it was a sister from the hall who works as a pharmacutical sells rep. "The perfect job for a JW". So we had the most uncomfortable time speaking lol because for one we were inside of a psychiatric office. I found it to be funny, because I know I qould be the gossip of thursday night meeting lol What akward run ins have you had with your congregation friends?

Mahtaw

Usually they're total dicks when they see me, act like they don't know me.

Julia Orwell

I usually acknowledge them and say hi and if they want to talk I talk to them like there's no issue, usually about work or something and ask about their health. I pretend there's no problem. For me there isn't. They're the ones with the problem. I have had the odd one ignore me or put her head down and continue on her way, so no loss there.

LoisLane looking for Superman

Hi Naazira, That is really a comical situation. lol

I cannot believe, with all the congo's around here, that I honestly, hardly EVER, see anyone I know.

The extreme few times I do, I act normal.

I've got no problems.

I am a fader and a Truth Seeker.

I really can't put into words yet, how I think of JDubs that are still in.

I think I feel sorry for them.

Just Lois

Julia Orwell

I second above.

Phizzy

I am proud of who I am now, so I usually stop and talk, or at least say "Hi" with a cheery wave. Sometimes I simply don't have the time to stop, or simply cannot be arsed.

But this is not just with JW's, some of my normal friends I avoid carefully on rare occasions in say, the Supermarket, just because of time constraints, or the way I am feeling.

A couple of times recently I have blanked (shunned?) some JW's. The first pair was Bro Pompous-Arse and his gossipy wife, we have no desire ever to talk to them again, she would spread rumours based on what we said , or didn't say, and he has twice tried to DF me.

The second lot was a family where the husband is a pain to talk to, he is not mentally well, and his wife is painfully shy, we saw them in the distance when out for an evening walk, but did not acknowledge them, too much like hard work.

I feel a little guilty about this, they were are "friends" once, but, the "Past is another Country", and I prefer certain people remain in that Country.

Hortensia

A JW once came up to me when I was having lunch with a friend. After talking nicely for a bit, she said in a bit of a challenging way, "did you know you are 'bad association'?"

I said, "well, then, why are you talking to me?"

It isn't my problem if they think I'm bad association. I'm not going to observe their little rules for them.

franticfran

Phizzy... "the past is another country" love it. thats my mantra from now on! I love it when I cant remember their names and I now do actualy say "Im terribly sorry,but I realy cant remember your name" like you Phizzy,I have now FINALY reached the "cant be arsed" stage!! Thanks to everyone here.

LongHairGal

NAAZIRA:

Don't give it a second thought!

I occasionally see JWs in local stores and malls. I just have a pleasant expression on my face and go about my business, and that's it. If they greet me, I'll be pleasant and brief. In some cases, if they weren't my friends 25 or more years ago, why in the world would I care now???

JWs are silly, irrelevant people who don't realize that long-time faders have moved on and don't need them.

cognizant dissident

Hortensia

Loved your answer to the "bad association" comment.

A few months back, a woman I barely remembered stopped me in the grocery store and asked if she knew me. We finally figured out that we had gone out to dinner once or twice with this group of JW women who used to get together years ago. So she asked me what congregation I was in now and I said I didn't go anymore.

Well, her face immediately changed and she asked me in a hushed whisper if I was disfellowshipped. I nearly burst out laughing because of how her face changed and it was all just so out of my frame of reference for living to ask someone you barely knew in the grocery store a question like that. What possible difference could it make to either of our lives for that 2 minute interaction we were having after a decade of not even thinking of each other? It was like she was from another country and didn't speak my language.

Anyway, I said, "I don't think so, but I don't go anymore so I might have missed the announcement. Just to be on the safe side, you probably shouldn't talk to me anymore, and then I just smiled and walked away (and burst out laughing when I got out the door).

You know you are healed when shunning is actually funny to you now.

Akward Runs in with Congregation Members

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