Dubs at lunch

Mulan

I went out to lunch today with my JW girlfriend. We were eating Chinese food, and she was telling me all about the CO's visit, and complaining quite a lot. Suddenly the people across from us said "which congregation?" We were shocked and a bit embarrassed. They were witnesses from a nearby town, who had never seen us or heard of us, so it was okay. They said they heard her say congregation, and then publishers, so knew we must be witnesses. I almost said I wasn't, but ended up not saying anything. That way they can wonder if I was a BS.

We had to tone down our conversation and talk about non-JW stuff. Just before we left, I reached up to my jacket lapel, and showed my friend, the button I wear. We both burst out laughing. I have a flag pin, shaped like Mickey Mouse's head, bought at Disneyland. On the other lapel is a pink breast cancer ribbon pin. Which do you think they saw?

They have our names though, because we did introduce ourselves. Oh well. I don't want trouble for my friend. For me, I don't care.

LB

Oh I'm sure they aren't going to see you as a witness. Not with that huge overwhelming flag on your lapel. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you the details of that flag before they can tell what your hair color is.

Buster

A couple months ago, my wife were on a weekend trip to Depoe Bay OR. I went to a bookstore and found a copy of a dub book. I figured I'ld give it a read and see how the reasoning is going these days - the Knowledge book.

At the beach, this woman came up to us and asked us "which congregation?" She told me she saw what I was reading. I told here I was a former Witness. She asked if I was disfellowshipped?

I told her I didn't really know and that wasn't really reading the book for any scriptural instruction. She left me with a delightfully condescending encouragement to continue studying. Just round it up and it becomes a reporting hour.

But the fun part came when we were leaving. She, her husband and roughly 5-year-old boy.

You should have seen it. The boy said or did something (couldn't tell from about 40 feet away) and the daddy reached back and popped the kid right on the side of the face. Next Patty Preacher lunges to daddy, connects with a left that may have loosened a couple teeth. Then she gained her composure, looked over at me staring.

That moment said so much. I wish we could more easily tell the JWs in the crowd.

bluesapphire

LOL! I remember once when we were staying at a hotel for the convention. My kids were making a rouccus after sitting all day at Long Beach Convention Center. They had so much energy. They were bouncing off the walls, jumping on the beds. It was insane. When my M.I.L. came in to show off how "well behaved" the kids were to her study you should have seen the look on her face. And then I was told how I needed to spank them. I was like, "Excuse me! But these kids have been cooped up all day. I'm NOT going to spank my kids for being kids. In fact, I'm going to reward them!" She got really mad at that.

undercover

I used to go to lunch with a girl I worked with sometimes. A really pretty girl. No, not just pretty, she was hot. We were just friends, though sometimes there was some flirting. She knew I was a JW and she respected it(darn). Anyway we were at lunch one day and a group of young ones from a couple of the local cong. came in. They saw us sitting at the bar and stared a hole through us the whole time. My first thought was, "Oh shit." But then I thought, "I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm eating lunch with a co-worker". It did get back to the parents of these kids, people I grew up with. A couple of the dad's asked me about it in private, but I could tell they were more jealous than anything. They were basically patting me on the back.

As has been mentioned before JWs can be so judgemental. Here were kids, teenagers, judging a brother cause he was eating lunch with someone who wasn't his wife. Now fortunately, I grew up with most of the parents of these kids, so because of that loyalty(which is disloyal to the organization) no one brought it up to an elder.

imanaliento

mulan i'm betting they saw the flag first, I would always notice stuff like that.

bluesapphire ---way to go ---that brings me to a thought, that while out in service with my youngest, he was bouncing all over the yard, and i'm trying to get him to come to the door and plant his feet. something I was taught by my grumby ole instructor to do . the sister I was working with said, just let him play, what we try to do is make them do something abnormal when they are just being a kid.

jack2

undercover, I am waiting for a Witness to see me sometime when I am out to lunch with a female coworker with whom I have lunch about once each month. Since my wife is always informed (she also has lunch with a male coworker at times), I'd like to see what would happen if they'd think they'd have something juicy to tell about me. And same goes the other way - I'm waiting for the day that some jw acquaintance comes up and says 'I saw your wife having lunch with some guy', to which I'd simply say, 'yeah, I know', and then I'd like to see the expression on their face. Thing is, they'd probably run to the elders first, in which case, the same scenario would simply take place with them.

Sangdigger

That brings to mind an amusing experience at a District Assy. back in about 92 or so. Me and my brother were staying at the same motel as our dub parents, and were riding on the elevator with our coleman cooler loaded to the hilt with beer. The elevator was packed out with other jw's returning from the convention. But not to worry, the lid was on tight, and nobody suspected anything, untill my lame brothers hand slipped off the handle, and all the beer and ice went spilling all over the elevator. No one said a word, as i frantically tried picking up the beer and loose ice. Then the whole thing hit me, and i busted up laughing. When i looked around me, no one else was, wich of course made it even funnier, and i laughed all the more. My brother still brings that up once in a while.

Mulan

My supervisor is a divorced man, with the same name as my husband, about the same age, same size, etc. I meet him occasionally for lunch, or just a meeting. One time I was in the parking lot at Costco, and we were saying good bye, and getting into our own cars. I hugged him goodbye, and turned around to see one of the sisters drive by in her van, giving me the evil eye.

If I was sneaking around, which I'm not, why would I hug this man in such a public place, where the dubs are always around? I used to wonder what I would do, if anyone saw us having lunch. Now I don't care. None of their business. He is just a good friend, who happens to be a man, and is very respectful of all the women he supervises. I've worked with him for 9 years, and he has NEVER done or said one thing out of line.

I'm sure that hug added to the gossip mill though.

Sangdigger

Come to think of it, i usually Laughed alot when under stress. I think its what got me through those dark years. I went to a door one time with my brother (hmmmm i see a patern) and when the guy came to the door, my mind went blank, so i looked at him to bail me out, and he just stood there looking at me, so we both started laughing. The guy looked so bewildered. Of course that made it funnier. He probably thought we'd been smokin wacky tobbaccy. He finally said something to the effect of why dont you two just dry up and blow away. I know its totally ridiulous, and how stupid it must've looked, but its one of those classic memories. I Laughed so hard, my stomach hurt.

Dubs at lunch

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