Did any of us ever enjoy meetings?

by stephanie61092 56 Replies latest jw experiences

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  stephanie61092

  This is a legitimate question. Did any of us ever find real joy in being at the meetings? Did any of us ever finish a meeting and think "I feel so enriched"? Since waking up, I've been able to admit that I've NEVER enjoyed the meetings - EVER! I have ALWAYS been bored and my mind has been elsewhere, but I felt too guilty to admit it. If anything, I've learned a great deal in patience and day dreaming. As an adult, every time I went to the meeting I only ever thought about where I would be going to eat after the meeting and with whom OR what things I needed to get done after the meeting was over. This was even true when I was an active "strong" witness, who commented and took notes during each meeting.

  A little while ago I was hanging out with a friend who is also DFed but not 'coming back' and they said to me "religion is sitting in a church and thinking about going kayaking. Spirituality is sitting in a kayak and thinking about God." That thought has really been resonating with me these past few days.
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  brandnew

  No
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  OneEyedJoe

  I did when I was about 12 and could answer up as good as the adults. Made me feel like a grown-up. But that makes sense because the material studied was at roughly a 6th grade level back then (probably 3rd or 4th grade nowadays). After that it was all downhill.
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  Rattigan350

  When I was in school I liked school because I could learn things and because there were girls there.

  Back in the day, I liked meetings because I could learn things and because there were girls there.
  
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  GrreatTeacher

  No, but I learned how to tolerate boredom for a looong time.

  I also did a lot of what I imagine meditation to be: just sitting still and letting the thoughts flit by.

  They say meditation is a good stress reducer, so maybe it was slightly beneficial?

  And then I quit going once I was an adult, so it might have been stressful listening to the same thing for 30 years.

  But, no, can't say I ever enjoyed them. Our bookstudy never even had goody night. Everyone just went right home. :(
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  LisaRose

  No, never, I found them painful. I learned a few years ago that I have ADHD, so that was probably part of the reason. But really, knowing now that the purpose of the meetings was to create fear, obligation and guilt, it's not surprising they weren't enjoyable.
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  baker

  no, i went outside and watched the old timers smoke
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  Lieu

  Nope. They were solemn and boring. The WT study was particularly excruciatingly boring. Everyone has already read the article, just ask the dayum questions, don't bore us all to death reading it allowed.

  Sometimes, I did enjoy the 2nd school where we would put candy corns in our teeth to make the 'student' laugh. The best part of the school were the sisters. That's the only time you heard a general conversation. (Takes far more work than a Bible reading)
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  Satan

  I always thought out strategies to conquer others in many war video games during the meetings.

  lol

  As you said, at least I developed the ability to daydream...
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  compound complex

  I have been a note taker since childhood and found that note taking during meetings was especially helpful during my last days in the KH. Kept me busy and non-thinking, for the most part. I liked to write down the speaker's unusual and/or incorrect word choices and phrasing, just because I'm wired to note oddities. I was never rude and laughed (out loud).

  Originally, however, I did like meetings. I felt my comments -- hand always up -- would help to strengthen my brothers and sisters for the tough times ahead. When I was deemed an apostate, the WT conductor refused to call on me, even if my hand was the only one up. Later, when I had a beard and long hair, a new WT conductor asked me before meeting to raise my hand high so he could see it and call on me.

  Go figure . . .

  CoCo