Hi Guys and Gals

by Gigamesh 21 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Gigamesh
    Gigamesh

    Hi Guys & Gals

    I’ve been watching the Forum for a few weeks and think it’s about time I joined and jumped in with both feet. “Faint heart…….." and all that! My JW history as follows:

    My parents caught the ‘truth’ when me ole man was in the army, he bought himself out then I arrived on the scene. That was May 1965.

    We moved back to the

    1973, unbeknownst to me aged 8, my parents took the 1975 prediction as reality and decided to go where the need was great. We upped sticks and moved to the wilds of , (for the US & Canadian forum members is different country on the left hand side of mainland, very small indeed, about the size of a Texan backyard). We were an English JW family in a closed Welsh community, knew no one, couldn’t speak the language. School was a nightmare. My sister and I were left isolated and bullied by both teachers and pupils alike. It took years for us even to be partially accepted.

    As the years went by I never took on board the “truth”. I’m not sure why, it never seemed important to me. My parents were persistent with bible studies and dragging me to the Kingdom Hall, Assemblies etc. All I wanted to do was meet girls (more enthusiasm than success), program computers (Video Genie – 1981) and read, Sci Fi mainly. I kept my head down and did the minimum (Field Service was my hate, frightened of meeting people from school – at age 12, I remember I said to my father while on FS that I didn’t want to do this anymore, his reply was that when we got back home we’d pack my stuff into a bag and I’d move out. We went home early because I wouldn’t stop crying).

    I was never pushed into baptism, though my sister was keen for a time but she never got to the pool. I was DA’d aged 17 for smoking, drinking and being a human being, shopped by a brother I used to work with and I thought was a friend. I got no warning of the hearing at all. My parents put me in the car on the Saturday morning and we arrived at the hall. I can’t remember anything about it - I was in shock. My sister was DA’d 6 months later, for a worldly boyfriend – she told them to all to f**k off – good on you girl!!

    My attitude was I would rather die a happy worldly person than live forever as an unhappy JW. So for a long time I was content just getting on with life, thankful that Armageddon hadn’t come yet, if it ever was going to.

    Now after much searching and research etc, I know there is no Jehovah, no Satan, JC was an invention and Armageddon is based on unrelated Bible passages which contain numbers that are made to add up to anything they want them to. I get strength from knowing that we are just here, a product of an ecosystem on a planet spinning around our sun – we just are – fact!

    My parents are still staunch and arrogant. My mother gives me the magazines which I accept. But they are not going to leave and accept that the last 40 yrs were a waste of time. Where would they go – they know nothing else. My sister still believes though has never been to the KH since being DA’d. She ridicules it. I think she is frightened that it might be true if she looks too hard, so her head remains firmly in the sand.

    I have enough material for a book, but that will have to wait until I do something world changing and I can write my autobiography – fat chance – (lol). Anyone from the , Alcester congregations of the 70’s or the congregation or the North Wales Circuit until the late 80’s, I’d love to hear from you.

    Everyone else, we all have the JW cult in common and regardless of your experiences it should be viewed as a positive experience otherwise the Society won. It has made you what you are, for better or worse and the simple fact you are reading this means you’ve either left or have doubts – it can only make you stronger.

    Giga

  • Simon
    Simon

    Hi Gigamesh, welcome to the site !

    We're in the Manchester area but my wife was brought up in the North Wales area (Llandudno) ... we usually went to the MCFC or Bolton assemblies so I'm sure we've probably crossed paths sometime.

    Ahh the Video Genie ... was it the color one? I had a TS-80 ... my first computer. I learnt more on that than anything else !

  • onacruse
    onacruse

    Giga, welcome to ya!

    <---waving from the Pacific NW of America

    Craig

  • Phantom Stranger
    Phantom Stranger

    more welcomes from the NW - hiya, Gigs.

  • Gigamesh
    Gigamesh

    onacruse - wavin' back.

    Simon

    Father was a elder so we occasionally did talks all over, including Llandudno. Are we allowed to mention 3rd party names? The only people I remember at that time in Llandudno was a family with one son, Mark, a few years younger than me, his father had a heart transplant - first one without blood - I think. I remember Circuit assemblies on the sea-front at Llandudno though. We did a Bolton once- don't know what year though and Edinburgh twice, Twickers and a Wembley when I was young.

    The Video Genie - a TRS-80 made in Korea/Taiwan....16k of RAM, 1k of it screen mem, black and white block graphics and the Z80 processor. Kept me sane-ish - together with AC/DC and Motorhead.

    Giga

  • xjw_b12
    xjw_b12

    Gigamesh..Welcome from the Great White North.

    Thanks for posting your into on your first post.

    You said:

    Everyone else, we all have the JW cult in common and regardless of your experiences it should be viewed as a positive experience otherwise the Society won. It has made you what you are, for better or worse and the simple fact you are reading this means you’ve either left or have doubts – it can only make you stronger.

    Ahhhh, your wisdon belies your age. Very well put. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

  • talesin
    talesin

    Welcome, Gigamesh!!

    lotsa good folk here.

    talesin

  • Frannie Banannie
    Frannie Banannie

    Welcome to the JWD, Gigamesh! Lookin forward to your posts!

    Frannie B

  • drwtsn32
    drwtsn32

    Welcome, gigamesh! I hope you enjoy it here as much as I have.

  • Hamas

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