Immune to shunning

Vivamus

I just had a break-through!!! If that is the appropriate word for it.

I was walking towards the postal office, and I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. And all of a sudden I stopped dead in my tracks, cause I was in collision course with another human being. So, I stopped, and altered course, when I recognized this woman.

Yes, your getting the point I'm sure, it was a sister, whom I knew very very well, from my old cong! My heart did NOT jump up, as it did when I was first DFd. I just smiled a brilliant smile, said hello and walked by. I am in admiration of the sisterly qualities by this sister though. Her face would have been the envy of top-poker players. She didn't flinch or anything, just looked straight through me, and kept on walking. Admirable quality for any JW.

Anyway, I only had to laugh about it. I am not hurt, depressed or anything! I am so proud of myself, I am immune to the shunning by surprise.

Hugs to you all,

Viv.

Edited by - Vivamus on 18 September 2002 13:12:39

Matty

Well done Viv, your warmth and dignity toward that "sister" has proven that you're worth a million witness automatons.

teenyuck

{{{Viv}}} Isn't that a great feeling? I am so glad it did not bother you. You have reached a milestone.

Gopher

Vivamus,

Good for you!!

This enforced shunning is so so so unnatural. You know the J-W's, they make unnatural things like shunning and cold-call evangelization seem VITAL, and yet they take away natural fun things like birthday observances. Oh well -- that's the mentality of the thoroughly trained puppets that they are.

You're your own woman. Yeahhhh!

(I too encountered a JW at the shopping mall this weekend. I don't know if he saw me, but I didn't feel the fear of the encounter I felt when I was first out of the organization. This time I just felt a twinge of sadness that the man would feel prohibited from talking to me.)

og

Nice. I'm not there yet, I see them and hate them and then seethe for a while.

ugg

good for you!!!!! i hope to be there some day....hugs!!!

nita6368

I kind of witnesses just the opposite of this the other day,my husband and I took my stepson into the ER, he had fallen off of his bike and busted his lip...anyway while we were registering I looked up and caught eyes with a ms and his wife from the hall I used to attend. The wife looked at me and smiled and I said hello. She started to say hello and I guess she then remembered I was DF so she put her head down and walked by really quickly. She seemed to really be rattled by this, it was kind of funny actually for a grown woman to act like that.

Trauma_Hound

I would said something like, thanks for being Jesus like, how many people did Jesus shun? :)

ozziepost

Her face would have been the envy of top-poker players. She didn't flinch or anything, just looked straight through me, and kept on walking. Admirable quality for any JW.

This is what I was 'getting at' when I made this recent post:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=36544&site=3

Especially this comment I made then:

Next time you're shunned, look in their eyes. Their eyes can tell a lot. You can certainly see an expression of sheer hate, can't you?

This is a regular experience for Mrs Ozzie and I, whether down at the shopping centre, or just going about our business. Are we affected? We like to think not, but the very fact we recognise it tells me that it must affect us a little. Why? Because it's so unnatural. It goes against human nature to refuse to recognise other fellow human beings, especially ones that you've had a close relationship with. It's also unnatural, in that I've always maintained that to enforce feelings, as the Borg does, twists the emotions of the R&F.

Anyway, Viv, glad you're "out and about" and glad that you gave a cheery greeting, for you are not shunning them.

BTW, how's the sky today?

Cheers, Ozzie

Double Edge

This reminds me, a few years ago when I went out to lunch with some friends from work (one JW), we were discussing TV programs and I mentioned that I was watching some program on cable about the Amish and it had a small segment about shunning. At the time, I didn't know that JW's shunned, so of course I piped in "Can you imaging shunning someone from you own family...how terrible, I don't know how those people can live with themselves...doesn't sound like any relgion I would want to be a part of". Well, we had quite a discussion where everyone, except the JW concurred. The JW said NOTHING, in fact had tried to change the subject. At the time I thought that was very odd...now I know why.

I've never been a JW, so I can't walk in your shoes..........BUT, If I was shunned by someone I used to go to church with, I would looooove to meet them on the street just to be able to go up to them in a very loud voice and say "HEY, HOW AARRRREEE YOU.'' (no response) 'REMEMBER ME? IT'S BEEN SO LONG....OH, WAIT ARE YOU STILL MAD AT ME AND DOING THAT SILLY SHUNNING THING" (no response...still in their face) IT'S OK, I STILL LIKE YOU AND I WON'T SHUN YOU BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THE SAVIOUR WOULD DO. BE HAPPY, I AM....BYE, SAY HI TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS!

Immune to shunning

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