My S.A.D. experience

by NewYork44M 42 Replies latest jw friends

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  NewYork44M

  For those who have been out of touch for more than a few years, a S.A.D. is the Special Assembly Day. I attended the SAD in Brooklyn this weekend and thought you might enjoy some of the highlights.

  The morning began with two "telling" illustrations. You can learn a lot about what the speaker thinks about the audience by listening to the illustrations.

  The first illustration had to do with a man who won the biggest lottery ever at that time. Unfortunately, the man squandered the money and within a few months had lost everything, including his family. The moral of the story is that you can put your trust in this economic system of things. You can appreciate the lack of respect for the audience, or perhaps his own ignorance, by using this illustration. He could have just as easily, and more appropriately, used an illustration about what has happened to some 401-Ks in this economic environment. However, I am sure he had no clue as to what a retirement plan is, nor did the audience.

  The next illustration was, in my opinion, even worse. The C.O. met a brother in his mid 40s working in McDonalds. He asked the brother to sit with him during his break so he could impart some encouragement to the bro. The CO asked why he was working at McDonalds and the brother told his story. When he graduated High School, he began pioneering. However, some well-meaning friend told him that he needed to get an education, so the brother quit pioneering and went on to get a "doctorate and several other degrees." The CO then asked why he was working at McDonalds and not some high paying job. The brother explained that he was either over qualified or lacked experience for any job he applied for, and he need to work. The brother then reflected for a minute and said. "If only I would have stayed in the pioneer work. While I still would be working at McDonalds, at least I would not be $150K in debt."

  So the moral of the story is this: If you expect to get a good job after going to college, dont count on it. Your only hope for happiness is the pioneer work.

  The only other highlight of the day is the speaker immediately after lunch. He sounded soooo GAY. I thought I was watching an episode of Will and Grace." I think he realized how gay he sounded because about half way through his part he noticeably lowered his voice.

  That is about it, I survived. But barely. I dont remember much else.
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  bittersweet

  LOL @ the McDonalds story........this(and many more for that matter)would be the reason why I stopped attending Special Assembly days,and all other Assemblies,conventions,etc.They make me ill:)
• 

  Amazing

  It is sad how speakers talk down to people, though most of this comes from the Society in the outline provided to the speakers ... over time it does wear off onto the speakers and they learn to talk down naturally, unconsciously. This is a root problem of the JW religion ... treating people as babies, and the people learning to suck and be coddled rather than grow and mature. It is all so subtle, incidious, and cunning. Sad indeed. - Jim W.
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  Mary

  "......the brother quit pioneering and went on to get a "doctorate and several other degrees......"

  Oh pu-lease! Anyone who gets a PhD "and several other degrees" and takes a job at McPukes because he can't get a job elsewhere, is, in my opinion, either full of shit, or just plain dense. A PhD WILL land you a good job, don't let anyone tell you anything differently.......................McDonalds............gimme a break!
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  nilfun

  However, some well-meaning friend told him that he needed to get an education, so the brother quit pioneering and went on to get a "doctorate and several other degrees."

  ...and he's working at McChuck's?

  LOL.hehehehehe...riiiight! *wipes tears of laughter from her eyes*
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  Francois

  A doctorate and several other degrees? Horseshit. You have to have an undergraduate degree, then a master's and then you can enter a doctorate program. But along the way, you will have learned about how to market yourself.

  Frankly, I think the WT just made up that story out of whole cloth, thinking to itself "this MUST have happened somewhere to someone." What a bunch of ass-holes.

  I was given that "don't go to college crap" when I just graduated from high school. Don't do it, I was told. Armageddon is right around the corner. Why would you build an expensive home if you knew a shopping center was going to be put in and your property was going to be condemned? And on and on and on. And that "encouragement" was given to me by the father of my main squeeze. You'da thought he would have wanted more than that for his daughter. (Didn't marry her anyway. She wasn't loose enough for a test drive.) That was 45 years ago. I'm very happy to have my little undergraduate degree.

  francois
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  NewYork44M

  There were numerous experiences from the young ones during the program. Not one of them indicated that they were attending college. The thrust of their experiences was that they "wanted to be used by J." So they were all pioneers immediately after hs.
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  ashitaka

  Mary,

  I think I know who NY44 is talking about. He was a nuclear physicist and he opted out of his job because of the nuke-weapon-JW thing. He then got a job at MD's, and he's done very well for himself. I think he own's one now, and lives in a very nice part of town.

  BTW, I am being completely serious, I know this guy.

  ash
• 

  freedom96

  I also agree that this "brother" who was stuck at McDonalds is full of it. Francios made a great comment about how he would have learned to market himself with all that schooling.

  I firmly believe that even those without degrees can make something of themselves, and create a good income.

  If this were true, then the "brother" is a complete nimrod, and that is the only job he could land, regardless of his education. He would obviously be somewhat intelligent, but his social skills must lack something silly if he couldn't land a job.

  Sad thing is, there were probably many people nodding their heads in agreement. Same people who are quick to make stupid statements about things they just don't have a clue about.
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  ashitaka

  Like I said, if it is the person I'm thinking about, the story is true. Because he was so smart, he did very well for himself, but this had nothing to do with pioneering. This guy worked 24/7 until he worked his way up. He's a smart guy. I never remembered him mentioning that he EVER pioneered, although I guess it's possible he auxilary pioneered at some time. I think he's an elder now. Generally a nice guy, one of the few decent elders I knew. Too bad he's trapped in as a JW.

  ash