...but it struck me as significant anyway.
I attended at a JW assembly hall, and was sitting behind a pretty typical JW family. 2 kids about ages 8 & 5, frazzled hen-pecked husband, and....the MOM. The lady of the house. Clearly the "spiritual head" of that family.
The husband spent most of the time trying to appear at least a little interested, and also trying to distract the 5 year old so he wouldn't embarrass the family in this oh-so-holy event.
The wife, though, was ecstatic thoroughout. She was literally on the edge of her seat, leaning forward, not wanting to even blink so as to miss a millisecond of this scrumptious spiritual feast.
And when the GB members were cracking their "jokes"?
Look, none of this stuff would register more than a "2" on a 10-point humor scale, but this lady reacted as if George Carlin had been resurrected and was performing on stage.
Here's how it would go:
"We made these bibles Witness-proof..."
Lady: head thrown back at 90 degree angle, eyes closed in ecstasy, and a 90 decibel SHRIEKING full-throated laugh.
"..we even made them sister-proof..."
90-degree angle, 95 decibel SHRIEK of full-throated laughter
"...I don't pronounce it as shhedule, I went to a different shhool.."
90-degree angle, 90 decibel SHRIEK of full throated laughter
"...some of us are losing our hair. It's not because we approved of marriage with a non-believer...."
90-degree angle, 90 decibel SHRIEK of full-throated laughter
You get the idea.
Anything even remotely recognizable as leaning in the direction of what some generous souls might classify as humor-ish, and this lady would get nearly orgasmic with delight.
And I got to thinking - this is why the GB does what it does.
This lady is so convinced that the golden droppings of ambrosia falling from the lips of these 8 wankers is virtually spoken by GOD HIMSELF, she is so wound up tightly, that she just explodes in paroxysms of joy at the slightest reason.
Now imagine YOU have that power. Millions of people are convinced, down to the very fiber of their soul, that any word that you personally speak is God's voice. They'd live for you, die for you, kill their kids for you....that is POWER.
That is something that, literally, money cannot buy. It is a hell of a drug, and those addicted to it are utterly hooked and unwilling to break the habit.
The GB doesn't care about money, at least not in a "personal riches" sort of way (although of course they will never worry about anything financial, and can do virtually anything they want to anyway - they have, in that sense, total financial freedom).
What they do care about is the personal POWER they have. It is more addictive than meth, crack, heroin, you name it - and it makes them feel better than any of that could as well.