About 15 years ago when I started attending meetings, I noticed that people arrived about 20 to 40 minutes before the meetings started, just to talk and socialize. Also they used to leave about 30 minutes after the meeting. So when you add that up, the meeting wasn't 2 hours but 3 hours. Then you count the time it takes to get there, and come back, and also pick someone up and drop them home again. So in all, you were gone 3h20 for a meeting of 2 hours. What I'm getting to is this, I notice that people don't arrive any more that early to the meetings. In average, people get there about 5 to10 minutes before a meeting, and leave 5 to 10 minutes after. I guess that if they can't cut the length of meetings, they can certainly cut the before and after time. To me this is a sign that all these meetings are taking their toll. Same thing for the field service. It starts at 9am sharp. Most arrive 2 minutes before, and some even 5 minutes after. It's not like is used to be...
Arriving later and leaving earlier
by JH 4 Replies latest jw friends
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freedom96
This is indeed a new time and age. Not only do we have access to tons of information on the internet, times are changing, and adults just don't have the time they used to.
The fact is, that now more than ever, both parents have to work, and more hours on top of that. People are running out of time. And that is going to take a toll. Perhaps it means less time in service, less meetings etc.
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Scully
Hi JH:
Overall, I think the JW lifestyle - when you are really doing everything that is expected of you - is extremely exhausting. It's absolutely nuts when you think that little kids have to stay awake and pay attention on some nights until after 9pm, and then often don't get home and into bed until 10pm or later. It takes a toll on their school work - they are too tired to concentrate the next day. We had teachers comment on my son's tiredness in grade 1 and 2, always following a meeting night.
Adults are also exhausted by the lifestyle. I once commented to my husband that the only chance we ever got to sleep in was when a Sunday morning meeting got cancelled (a rare occurance, usually due to severe weather or power outages), or when someone was sick. We were up every morning at 6:30 to get ready for work, then on weekends I'd get up just as early to get ready for service (we had the service meetings in our house, so I couldn't leave breakfast dishes laying around) or meetings - it seemed whenever another baby came along, I'd have to get up earlier to get everyone organized - plus I'd be up during the night feeding the baby at least once or twice. I really don't know how we did it for as long as we did.
When people's jobs and "real lives" start becoming the focus, more than the CULT, yes, they will start spending less time at meetings socializing. If you notice, the more "into" the CULT a dub is, the more socializing time they will spend at the KH. They have nothing else to fill their time.
Love, Scully
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Beck_Melbourne
JH
I grew up in the days when everyone arrived early and left late...I used to hate it. Sometimes after the meeting I would sit in the car and wait until my mother finished yapping and would take us home to bed. I don't agree with the way families have their kids out at night, week after week.
I also remember when assemblies used to go until 9pm at night...what a drag.
I have no idea what it is like now...and thats the way I like it
~Beck~
ps...you forgot to count the hour it took to get ready...what a pain in the ass meetings were!! I'm glad to be rid of them.
Edited by - Beck_Melbourne on 27 November 2002 23:22:17
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fulano
I remember the time I had to skip homework just because of the TS and SM, untill 9 p.m. and than half an hour talking arriving home at 9.45 p.m.
Good education!