Assembly memories

by freedom96 35 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  SYN

  Well, my "memories" (more like tragic recallences ) of Conventions are nowhere near as exciting as, say, Farkel's (LMAO!!!!!), in Africa it can get suffocatingly hot on a GOOD day, and there were all these guys sitting around in suits....absolute insanity if you ask me.

  People would pass out, especially the more elderly sisters and brothers, and half an hour later there they'd be again in their seats, cruising for a stroke or two. Disgustingly insensitive of the Tower, if you ask me!

  Most of all though, the Conventions were DAMN BORING. Bored to tears, more like it.
• 

  RAYZORBLADE

  Ravyn: the story of the strawberry yogurt ice-cream falling on that big-haired woman's head had me in stitches over here...I kid you not.

  Farkel: let's put it to you this way, I was laughing so hard, I passed wind .

  Well, coming from a small community, any opportunity originally to get out of there, as well as, going to another 'cool' place, was worth it. Torture here, torture there, you get the picture.

  Does anyone remember the "VICTORIOUS FAITH" International Assembly in Montreal, Quebec back in early July 1978?

  What I remember, I am not even 1 year associated with the JWs. Driving almost 8-9 hours with not very much money in the back of an old covered Datsun truck, with another guy whose family were new JWs. We sat in the back, under blazing heat. The day was hot and sunny, I'll never forget it. We'd open the side vents under the makeshift camper. It was like an oven back there.

  Arriving outside of Montreal, I remember being so fascinated by the BIG CITY! I was arriving from Atlantic Canada. The world of boring-boring-boring!

  I remember for many brothers and sisters, they'd travel great distances for these assemblies, the day before, and return to their respective communities/homes that same night.

  For me, I guess the only part I liked: travelling away from where I was living. The International Assembly was intimidating, because there were so many people, and you did NOT know anyone. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

  Ask me if I remember anything from that assembly? I am afraid not.

  I returned in 1979 to Montreal for another big assembly at Olympic Stadium. I spent it with 2 other persons. It was fun, because well...for me, being in a big city was a thrill unto itself. I remember the drive, the music on the radio, and the places we stopped along the way, some interesting people at the camp sites.

  Returning back to our respective congregations the following week was like back to the same old-same old.

  I liked the fact I got to travel. The assemblies, I tried...and tried real hard to get into them. I did meet my first fiancee at the Montreal assembly. Thankfully, I did not go through with the engagement. She was a nutter.

  I'd take notes, or record the talks, but I found it hard to relate to them immediately after having either listened to the talk/taped talk, later. I just didn't seem to have the patience for them. I would listen to them for a few minutes, and then turn on the radio/cassette of some rock band.

  I remember smaller assemblies, circuit assemblies, district assemblies.

  Did I like them, well...while an Auxiliary Pioneered, I did my damnest to GET into the talks, even attending them 2 or 3 times in a row, hoping it would rekindle my dwindling spirit.

  Didn't work.

  Oh well...here I am, some good it did me huh?

  Edited by - RAYZORBLADE on 28 January 2003 6:38:29
• 

  jws

  One of my best memories was back when we used to have them at County Stadium in Milwaukee. The field itself had no seating, just the platform, so the public wasn't allowed down there. But, my dad was on the construction team for the platform. That allowed my brother and I to tag along and get out onto the field. Got to run the bases where greats like Hank Aaron used to play.

  In my later teens, crusing the hallways looking for girls was fun. Cause if I was going to marry a JW, I didn't especially like the slim pickings at my hall. This was the only place to find a little more variety.

  After 18 and having our own transportation, skipping out altogether was even better. I remember my brother and I having a great afternoon chilling-out at one of the lakes in Madison (Mendota or Mendosa?), splitting a 6-pack. Had to be careful though. Sometimes you'd meet some "spiritual" cutie who would ask you about things in the program so you had to be quick on your feet.

  I think we always enjoyed the whole trip. Our family didn't travel much and when we did, we didn't stay in hotels, we camped. Staying in a hotel in a different city was fun. We also looked forward to the night. Going to hang out or do things with our friends or swim at the hotel, or in later years, go visit the girls we had met that day.

  As for the sessions? Boring. The whole religion was boring. Same stuff, over and over. I liked the costumed dramas though - at least it was a break from a boring speaker. When I was a kid, I tried to draw to pass the time, but my parents wouldn't let me. Tried to sleep, but they'd wake me. I became a first-class daydreamer - even my grade-school report cards commented on it - being JW was where I think it all started. When I was older, we'd sit on our own and get away with diversions like drawing and napping. Or bring binoculars to "see the speaker/drama", but really we'd people-watch.

  Overall, I didn't really mind conventions and probably even looked forward to them. But those feelilngs had nothing to do with the sessions - only with the rest of the trip.
• 

  blacksheep

  God, the memories: I hated every one of them. I remember as a young girl baking in the hot stadium sun: I got a bad sunburn where my hair parted!! Lousy food, boring talks. I had forgotton the ones that went into the night. I remember looking through binoculars at the "drama." Ha, where everything was pre-recorded, and the "actors" just did over-stated gestures (in a big stadium, you could barely make the people out. Through the binoculars I saw that they didn't even bother to lip sink, since no one could see their mouths anyway. What a bizarre joke!!!

  The only pleasant memory I have is going back to the hotel and having a hot chocolate at the hotel restaurant before going to bed to get up early the next morning to do it all again...Ugh. That's when the assemblies were 7 days long or so. And, remember how theocratic those brothers were (always brothers at that time) who were fired from their secular employment (or simply didn't get paid) because they couldn't get time off for the assembly. Yeah, great idea. What a blessing.
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  blacksheep

  LOL, should have been "lip sync" (I think?)

  I'm so glad others brought up the same things about the assemblies that I detested. I honestly believed at the time because I hated them that I was one of the "rebellious Israelite children" that would have been stoned back in biblical days (courtesy of mom). Oooohhh, really motivating!!!
• 

  Pistoff

  OMG farkel, i laughed so hard at the VW story i was crying............

  My favorite convention story:

  During the early 80's, after the apostate craze and the streaker phase, the society got really paranoid about security, and so I pulled all night security at the local stadium. Can't tell ya where, I still go there occasionally.

  Security is almost as boring as the late afternoon, hot in the arena deadly dull talk on some obtuse part of Isaiah. So to liven up the long nite, we broke out the whiskey and six packs.

  You haven't lived till you are witness security, higher than a kite and walking the catwalks high above the convention floor!

  I do have some really good memories of the trucking department during the 70's, and hauling ice to the concession stands in the summer heat when I was all of ten years old. I miss the full meals, and the hamburger stands too; ice cream stands were good in the afternoons.

  Anything to not have to listen to sessions!