Taking up a Cause

by OnTheWayOut 12 Replies latest jw friends

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    So recently, my JW wife asks me if I ever considered taking up a cause.

    It was a question out of the blue, coming off of a discussion about politics. So while it was unsaid, she was really getting at whether I was considering being politically active in some way.

    I already have a standard answer that I have used before with other people, so I said it.

    "No, I will be content to work and get by then retire and sit in the sun with a good book and a cold water. That's it. No causes for me. I picked up a cause once before, and I was so deeply involved in it, really thought it was important and put so much of myself into it, but it turned out that I was SO WRONG. I don't want to do that again."

    That really threw her for a loop. But she gathered herself together and came back with a good zinger.
    "Some people help animals or children. You don't want to do that?"

    "Well, that's a nice thought. I suppose there are many causes that are virtually impossible to be wrong about. If anything really gets me started with a passion, maybe if something happens in my life to really effect me, I will consider taking up a cause. But it would have to be a sure thing that facts cannot show to be the wrong cause."

    Not an earth-shattering topic, I know. But that's the only progress I manage with my JW wife these days. Just as I don't have a passion for a cause, I don't have a passion for arguments about so many issues. I am not even standing up for liberalness and atheism on the internet that much these days.

  • out4good4
    out4good4
    No, I will be content to work and get by then retire and sit in the sun with a good book and a cold water. That's it.

    That's where I am. 5 years to go.

    Will be retiring at 57 with a lot of years left to go and do whatever the hell I want.

  • OneEyedJoe
    OneEyedJoe

    Very well said. In the back of my mind I've been trying to find a succinct way to explain why I'm not super involved in causes like some of my friends are, should it ever come up. You've done a great job of that. Thank you.

  • stillin
    stillin

    I hear you OTWO. I have considered whether some charity work might be in the cards for me if the opportunity arises. But, really, what about ME? I need a break, too. I was "all in" with the Witnesses for my best years. My wife thinks I'm being selfish, and it's probably true, but I already GAVE!

    on the flip side, it felt good to believe that I was of some service to my fellow man. Offering eternal life is a tough act to follow.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    Is your wife maybe interested in taking up a cause herself?

    I knew some sisters in the congregation who were animal crazy and had some involvement with animal charities. Not much, but still unusual for JWs.

  • kairos
    kairos

    I'm getting tired of arguing.

    Most people have their minds made up and our little life doesn't really amount to much.

    The sitting in the sun does sound like a great cause, actually!

  • Dagney
    Dagney

    I guess maybe the joy of being out is now being free to do or not do whatever the hell you want. Something jws do not get to do, and they can sometimes be critical of others because of their own "sacrifices" they've made in their "voluntary life saving" work.

  • Nihilistic Journey
    Nihilistic Journey

    I've found giving a way to feel better about myself. even though I'm agnostic I've joined a progressive church that allows me to do toys for tots, work in a soup kitchen, food pantry, and Feed America trucks.

  • Darkknight757
    Darkknight757

    The wife and I support a few local charities and do RAC's or random acts of kindness. This has been good for our situation but we also do a hell of a lot more "sitting in the sun" so to speak. Getting our weekends back to make breakfast or going for a nice drive has made the both of us much happier.

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    My replies:
    out4good4: "Whatever the hell I want" is definitely part of the plan. I got about 10.5 years to go.

    OneEyedJoe: glad to help. I thought on that for quite awhile before coming up with the right explanation.

    stillin: I am with you on the "already gave" part. Not so much with the "felt good to..." part. Oh, at the time, I felt good. But my angle is that I feel bad about putting so much into something I was wrong about, so maybe never again.

    slimboyfat: one never knows. My wife's "service" is token at best. She may find some things more worthy of her time and I will support any effort to do good that is not part of religious recruitment.

    kairos: sitting in the sun is kind of a zen/mantra thing. Everyone seek inner peace before spreading your message through any other cause.

    Dagney: great thoughts. If "they" are going to criticize any good cause I take up, then I might actually take up a worthy cause just to rub it in their faces. But probably not. I like the freedom to not bother.

    Nihilistic Journey: I have considered food trucks for the hungry and the like. Maybe one day I will have a passion like yours.

    Darkknight757: I like the RAC thing- Should be RAK, but anyway- I have done some of that. No commitment, just a kind deed here and there. I may add that to my answer.


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