I was in my company truck again today, pulled over to the side of the road in a neighborhood, doing some measuring and looking for some survey markers.
A group of JW's were working their way down the street toward me. The 2 middle aged ladies were smartly dressed, one had brightly colored highly styled auburn hair and was wearing large noticeable jewlry. The Brother was late 50's Hispanic also smartly dressed in a black top coat and seemed like he might be Elder material. He was working alone. Each of them were only carrying a stack of what looked like tracts. I notice how slowly they were sauntering from house to house....no urgency detected.
The brother reached me first, he asked me what I was doing. I told him I was looking for certain boundary lines in order to determine if some utilities could be installed in the City right of Way. He didn't know what that meant so I explained.
He didn't actually say "Kingdon Hall " but he mentioned that "We" are getting ready to put up an iron gate and brick wall in front of "our building" and wondered if what I was doing would have anything to do with that. I told him that before they get started,they should be sure they know exactly where their property lines are, get the underground utilites marked before they dig and be sure to have the proper permits in place before starting and things should be fine. He said that was already taken care of.
P.S. I went by the Kingdom Hall later which was only a few blocks away and the project is well under way. The brick pillars are up and there are trenches dug and electrical conduit running the length of the KH frontage which borders the City's property. I will check tomorrow to see that all the permits are in order or if they even have any and where the boundary lines are (part of my job as an Inspector). I would never use my authority to give them or anyone else a bad time but I'm just curious.
Anyway, the brother was asking me a lot of overly general questions and sort of hedging around the topic of what happens if someone were to block off a public alley that wasn't being used very much. I asked him a few questions and he tried to be evasive but it turns out he blocked off an alley with a fence and took the alley over as his own property. He tried not to tell me where he lives but little by little he let it slip. It turns out I was familiar with his situation because there had been recent complaints. I didn't know one of the people involved is a JW of course but I knew that he and his neighbor have been in a dispute about this for a few years apparently. I mentioned to him that I was familiar with the situation. (I'll check this out tomorrow as well and see what's currently happening)
Anyway we were wrapping up our conversation as the sisters walked by. They each smiled and said hello to me and he joined them. As they passed I noticed they each had what looked like those invitiations to the convention that someone had posted on here. It struck me that in all the time we talked, he never offered me an invitiation or even mentioned the important work he was doing. Was my life not worth saving??
They group was only a few steps away when it struck me to say (with a big grin) "Hey....where's my-y-y-y Invitation ?? LOL"
They all turned around and looked at me with puzzled looks, so I said in a smiling joking way " Back when I was a Witness... I'd have offered someone like me, an invitation to the convention".
They Sisters looked a the Brother as if they were stunned that he hadn't done that or they didn't know what to do. The Brother just started steering them away from me with his arms on their backs. The sisters glanced back and I just smiled and waved them on as if to say "never mind...I was just kidding".
I think the brother was worried that the whole fence buisness at his own house, my familiarity with the situation as well as his indication that the work at the Kingdom Hall was OK permit wise, might shine an unfavorable light on him and his organization.
I felt sorrow for these people and the heavy burden of responsibility they bear, to be examples and above others becasue of their religion and I kinda wished I hadn't teased them even if it was just a little bit. They are such an easy mark and I remember being in their position and because of that they were at a disadvantage in this case.