At a regional convention today....

by Nobodyspecial 43 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  millie210

  Accurate descriptions.

  Plus all the money it has taken for most families to achieve the goal of the "great assembly".

  Time off work, vehicle in good repair, hotel costs, food costs and dont forget to donate!

  For women especially, the assemblies are hell. Even in this day and age, women judge each other by hair, clothing and makeup.

  Only the JWs have their own weird frame of reference for what is the top shelf look.

  If you wear modest, long, flowing dress, mousy hair and makeup and are a pioneer, you RULE the look!

  If you are a man, any suit will do, its that bowing and scraping to the elders and getting in your 10 hours a month that will look good on you. As a bomnus, volunteer in parking at the assembly where you get the blessing of standing for hours while rude people who dont want to be there ignore you sweating in your best suit on their behalf.

  The other look that is envied is the extremely well to do look. While this is frowned on by the Org officially and while you probably wont get many "privileges" this is still a look that matters. Drive a great car, a great suit, nice jewelry and, Louboutins or DKNYs and a Kate Spade purse for the woman and you will get silent but very real admiration.

  Of course, the tight, strapless and/or backless dressed will also get noticed, with pursed lips by the "sisters" and carefully suppressed sighs by their glared at husbands, especially if there is a tattoo involved.

  I have seen many sisters feeling flattened under the weight of all this, crying while getting ready in the morning or in the evening if the day didnt go right.

  Sucking back tears to get the kids down to the pool, because as we all know....that is the ONLY fun things the kids will get.

  
  

  
  

  
  
• 

  TheLiberator

  The OP is so true. Those phony smiles and forced laughs are easily explained. Each individual for the most part, has one thing on there minds. THEMSELVES. They are thinking of there clothing and who will notice. "I am a pioneer, elder/ms and I am more spiritual." " I give talks at the RC, because I am one of the better speakers." "I need to get to convention first, so I can get those end row seats." "Who am I going to have dinner with tonight?"

  They are thinking of there own self gratification when it comes to new releases. ( Remember the race to the books). They are thinking about all the little notes that they will "expand" on when they get back home to show how spiritual they are. They are thinking about there own "spiritual goals" that will make them look good. They want to give everyone the impression that there life is all together because they are so spiritual. In the end, it is simply "Look at me". And so they are blind to everyone, to the point of not thinking straight. I know this is true. I was one of those jerks.
• 

  Rather Be the Hammer

  @WTwizzard...exactly my experience... Always had a bad back, but since I know ttatt I developed nervous pain in my back/legs that is triggered by sitting... Just sitting in KH for an hour and I have so much pain! So I have to walk a lot, or be in the kitchen...

  I know this is no coincidence. Whenever I quit going to these meetings, my back pain will be over, I am sure.
• 

  stan livedeath

  back in the day when i was a young dub--i found i could not read the literature--i mean--really. my eyesight would not focus on the paragraphs. i got my eyes tested--nothing wrong with it. even bought reading glasses--still no good. i think my mind was trying to tell me something.
• 

  Pete Zahut

  A person can understand how there would be a certain amount of forced politeness during structured occasions but the trouble is, JWs are lead to believe that this forced politeness is real friendship and are disappointed when the thin veil is dropped whenever someone goes off script or anything too real happens. They are told that if they are not feeling the warmth of the brotherhood, they are lacking Jehovah's spirit, thus they ignore their inner voice and go on for years wondering what's wrong with them.
• 

  JustVisting

  Observing the behavior of the brothers when the doors are opened in the morning during the RCs and the thin veil of brotherhood are quickly shattered.
• 

  OUTLAW

  It really stands out to me just how phoney the bonds of forced brotherhood are. The smiles are paper thin when they see each other in hotels. The laughs forced.

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  The conversation shallow and cult approved.

  
• 

  Nobodyspecial

  Its so bad apprently now they opent he doors for the elderly at 8 and everyone else at 8:15. Pathetic that they cant even respect the elderly without giving them a 15 min head start
• 

  freddo

  Quite true, nobody special.

  We even had one of those animated cartoons as one of the reminders for the convention showing a little old sister on a "zimmer" (walking) frame being knocked over by a stampede of "seat getters."

  Everyone laughed at the kingdom hall. Not realising how pathetic we must be to need such a reminder!

  Obviously even that childish reminder was not enough and so the elderly have to be let in first.
• 

  disposable hero of hypocrisy

  I felt the same about the elder tag. And at our convention today they've started introducing the speakers as 'convention coordinator and elder in such and such congregation', or 'branch overseer and elder in bethel', even more drawing attention to their titles.