Ozzie's Weekend Poll for Father's Day (#18)

ozziepost

G'day all,

Yes, on this special day downunder, it's Father's Day. Families have been gathering, cemetery visits made to place flowers on graves, children giving touching notes of affection. And it's the first day of Spring here in Aussie!

So, today's weekend poll has a Father's Day flavor. Settle back with a cuppa and cast your minds back.

The question is:

What was the hardest thing about being a Witness and a father?

1. Getting to the meetings on time.

2. The family study.

3. Did I really have to go to meetings three times a week?

4. Kids falling asleep half-way through the mid-week meeting.

5. Kids restless during the meetings.

6. Getting the family out in the field service.

7. Getting a shepherding call.

8. Arriving at the meeting for field service with all the family by 9 am.

9. Kids waiting around after the meeting while I did my duties.

10. Sitting in the back row.

11. Having to make excuses when I wanted to take the family out for the day.

12. Having to make excuses for letting the kids go to camp/sleepovers/sport

13. Pretending I didn't notice their birthdays.

14. Other (Please specify)

So, what was it like for you? Let us know what was the most significant for you.

Enjoy.

Cheers, Ozzie

Edited by - ozziepost on 1 September 2002 6:15:11

Mimilly

14. I was/am the mother

Happy Father's Day Down Under!

hugs, Mimilly

zev

14

staying awake.

i was constantly falling asleep and catching up on my much needed sleep.

hey, it was an extra 5 hours of such deep restfull sleep every week

jack2

I'm beginning to wonder what my life would be like without Ozzie's weekend polls!

Numbers 2 and 9 stand out for me -

The family study was always tough. Even when i was an elder, I couldn't stand it. I'd start drifting mentally and my wife says that I fell asleep once. There was always tension associated with it. My child felt 'outnumbered' and felt like she was being lectured. My wife felt left out and often sat and said nothing, just reading paragraphs in robot-like fashion. We finally just gave it up, and we look back now and marvel as to how we pushed ourselves to do something that we all hated doing, just so that we could say 'yes, we have a family study' and that I could report it on a field service slip and 'study report'.

Many times, my wife and daughter either stayed at the Hall and waited for me or went home on their own while I performed duties. It was worst when I was accounts servant, and then later an elder. I always worried about them traveling home alone at night, but also, I hated to make them wait for me at the 'brief' elders meetings that went on and on.

One time, we stayed to read a letter about Circuit Overseer accomodations that did not even apply to our locale. I sent my family home. After the elder's meeting, I told one elder that we could easily have avoided having the meeting by just circulating the letter. He got angry at me and said, 'can't we even give 10 minutes?'. It took longer that that and that wasn't even my point. My point was why have these meetimgs if they are not needed while our families have to wait or travel without us?

Larry

2 and 8.

Peace - LL

Scully

In my family while I was growing up, it seemed to be #2 - having a family study - was hardest. We never did it. Although my dad was determined to consider the daily text after supper each day. I'm sure this is how he justified counting a family study.

Apparently, it wasn't as difficult for him to PRETEND to have a family study. It was always our family that was asked to do demonstrations on the platform to show everyone else how it's done. I quit going along with it and dad stopped insisting that I did, when I told him I felt like a hypocrite and that it bothered my conscience. He didn't take the hint though.

Love, Scully

ozziepost

I wonder how many other "model" families used on meeting/convention demos were just as uncomfortable about doing it, and felt just like Scully. My guess is quite a lot.

Yet another example of the hypocrisy in the borg that's foisted on the R&F.

Cheers, Ozzie

Freedom means not having to wear a tie.

alfie

Hello all,

ALL of the above.

Ozzie's Weekend Poll for Father's Day (#18)

Share this