I would always wish to be assigned to the "zealous", just turned 18, pioneer sister's cargroup. We lived in isolated bordering on unassigned territory and she would always take the territories on the outskirts, 50+ miles from the hall. By the time we arrived we would take 1 door, or sometimes just fake the card to say whatever without actually getting out of the car and return home. Occasionally we would drive to the nearest movie theater,120 miles one way, counting field service hours the whole time. I saw Wayne's World twice that way. Sadly she is still "in" although I credit her with helping me to see the light.
What did you hope for just to avoid Saturday witnessing?
by BLISSISIGNORANCE 50 Replies latest social family
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what-now?
Thunderstorms (Lightening & Hail)
Chickenpox (or other contageous infection or disease)
Sudden on-set of Blindness (or Deafness)
Loss of Electricity in the house (no blow-dryer to coiff my hair)
Death in the family or congregation (of some insignificant, old person who was sure to be resurrected)
A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G----But these excuses were rare as hens teeth.
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BLISSISIGNORANCE
OMG...............as I read all your replies I have a laugh but I also feel a sense of guilt.
I dragged my poor kids out on Saturdays and did all the 'correct JW ' things with them. It makes me wonder how I would have felt if it was me as a kid made to do that. I wasn't raised a JW so I did the b/days, weekend sport etc. My poor kids. Talk about regrets.
Anyhow, we're all out now, so better late than never. Besides, I've apologised to them for making them do all that JW stuff. I think they've forgiven me.
Keep those excuses coming.
Cheers, Bliss.
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maxwell
Of course, the rain. I started working a part-time night job so that gave me an excuse for many Saturdays. Too-tired after hard physical labor the friday night before. Big school project provided me with excuses many times also.
We had rural territory where I grew up but no super fun partners. But I would always hope that I would be in the car when someone else in the car group would get involved in a long conversation. This happened a few times. Go to a door or two, then someone gets involved in a long conversation for an hour so I'm sitting in the car counting an hour of time and maybe chatting with my partner.
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Wolfgirl
My dad made us go out in the rain and the cold, no matter what. I longed to stay home and watch Saturday morning cartoons like all the other kids. On a rare occasion, when the windchill was minus 50 something, we were allowed to stay home. I started saying I had a sore throat, just often enough to avoid suspicion. :)
After I got older, I too was one of those who would use any time I didn't feel 100% as an excuse to stay home. :)
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Gozz
There was this guy who always got a sore throat on weekends. And he knew to how to fake it well. It helped on Sundays too, he just does the mike and wouldn't have to say a word.
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mizpah
Most of the Jehovah's Witnesses that I knew found the door to door work awkward and uncomfortable. Afterall, what normal person wanted to be rejected by the majority of people we met. Bad weather was no excuse though. Instead of the door to door ministry we would have to go on "return visits."
For those who lived in a mixed area (rural and urban) we would always try to get a "territory" that was in the rural sections. Sometimes it would be miles between houses. And if a person got into a home, we all sat in the car and talked and laughed but still could "count the time." Most were relieved when the clock read 12 noon and we could head for home.
Personally, I was shocked when I discovered that the leaders at the headquarters did not participate in the door to door ministry. I could not understand how they were above the work which they said was done by Jesus and the apostles. But, then, I was in for a further shock when I found out that these same leaders sat in air conditioned club houses at the stadiums being served their meals while the rank and file of us sat blistering in the sun and waited in long cafeteria lines. It was hard to justify the boast that "Jehovah's Witnesses had no class distinctions."
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undercover
Heavy rain. Plain ole rain wasn't enough to stop my parents. It had to be flood warning stage. Flood watch meant to wear your rubbers. I remember getting a door in pouring rain and the householder just looked at me and shook his head. I read his mind to say, "You people don't even have sense enough to get in out of the rain". It was one of those events that I filed in the back of my head that made perfect sense later on.
A few Saturdays ago I was out washing vehicles when I saw a strange car park up the street aways. Four females of various ages, from young to adult, spilled out of the car and went two by two to some houses. I knew they were witnesses. I felt so sorry for the young little girls. A beautiful Satuday afternoon, the kind spent at the lake or at the pool, but here they were in long dresses walking from door to door, pedeling magazines. It was sad.
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GermanXJW
I used to be panicking when I could not do service for any reasons because Saturday was my only service day and I knew I would miss the hours on my report at the end of the month. I knew that I was expected to do at least 10hrs. I almost failed each month because of a lack of preaching partners and because one Saturday was reserved by the CBS for cleaning the KH.
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Nosferatu
My kids tell me they would lay in bed watching the clock, hoping we weren't going and that I wouldn't call them.
But I would always hope that I would be in the car when someone else in the car group would get involved in a long conversation.
Oh, I remember these ones! Also, I'd hope that my unbelieving JW father would have something for me to help him with. I would also hope that I didn't run into any of my schoolmates doing the door to door work. I would also hope for a brother to phone saying that the service meeting was cancelled for whatever reason. When this happened I'd usually let out a loud "Yeeeaaaahhhhh!!!", and then my mother would give me shit.