Hi everybody... I stumbled across this site in my travels and thought I'd say hi. As mentioned in the subject my name is Darren and I'm from Melbourne Australia. I was born into the witnesses, the perfect little jw child. I was baptised at the age of 11, and even pioneered unofficially before I was baptised. I was destined to be the youngest elder in Australia, or so I was told. Once I got to the age of 16 or so, I started to come out of my shell and look at things differently. I was disfellowshipped when I was 18, reinstated 10 months later. But my love for the organisation was truly dead by this stage, and I only got reinstated because I wasn't quite ready to leave and needed the comfort zone of my friends and family. For the next few years I lived a complete double life, enjoying the 'worldly' side of life but still a token witness. After some months of inactivity I disassociated myself from the organisation in 2000.
Most of my family are still witnesses, and as is the case with most ex-jw's who's family are still members I've been through a fair bit. I'm no longer in contact with my parents, and happier for it. Things recently deteriorated with one of my younger brothers, which has probably hurt the most so far in all of this. He has married a witness girl, he's only 20 mind you not that that's strange in the organisation, and his mind has been warped.
A lot of my new friends are quite amazed at what I have gone through as part of the process of leaving, but it has actually just strengthened my character. I wouldn't change what has happened cause it has shaped me. And I certainly don't have any interest in being a witness, not after what I have seen and read since my leaving. I don't feel any anger towards the witnesses, rather sadness at how brainwashed they truly are. Especially for my younger brothers who are subjected to the same brainwashing that I received. Hopefully they one day break though it like me, and I feel that in some way I have paved the way for them if they wish to do so. By my hardships I hope to of given them the option, and shown them that it's possible to leave and be happy which is contrary to what they are taught.
I'm engaged to be married next June, and it's my fiance who's probably been treated the worst. She was previously unaware of the witnesses. How she has been treated, as an innocent party in all of this, by my family and friends has left a lot to be desired. It would seem the 'good witness' they are supposed to be always giving was completely thrown out the window. All they could say was to "not take it personally"... yeah right guys, put yourselves in her shoes!
I'm happier now than I have ever been, my conscience is clean and I'm already enjoying my life outside the control of the organisation.
Anyway that's enough about me, just wanted to give you all a brief overview of my story.
Cya
Darren