Did anyone really enjoy assemblies? (page 2)

Fisherman

From an empiricist point of view, remarkable coincidences time and time again at the conventions made going enjoyable and the book releases, some dramas, talks from old gb, listening for hints about the GT, looking at attractive opposite sex and searching for a mate, the experience of JW fellowship and closeness to God. Inspite of hours and hours of sitting down and listening and waiting for the program to be over, the heat, the unbearable humidity with rain and sweat and discomfort. An assignment made the time go faster. Im talking about the large conventions. It was an experience and you had friends and socialized and new members got baptized, they served food.

I honesty have to say that this last Patience convention was well done—take what you want out of it but it was easy to listen to and they kept your attention.

You also have to look at conventions as worship. JW worship involves listening to discourses aka talks and not rituals jumping up and down mumbo jumbo prayers.

Journeyman

I agree with BluesBrother and slim. The whole Twickenham stadium of around 25,000+ singing some of the old "kingdom songs" was very moving back in the day. Meeting old friends again and making new ones was fun. Some of the speakers could be very motivating. New book and brochure releases were eagerly anticipated. And after the Sunday afternoon ended, as I was young, single and carefree back then (ahem) there was usually a group going to a local restaurant or a pub for a meal and 'association' to look forward to.

However, I always hated the dramas with a passion, yet most of the others in attendance would consider them a 'highlight' and rave about them. A group of barely-visible JWs way off in the middle of the pitch with some tacky costumes and a cheap set, miming to a corny and trite dialogue in thick American accents? No thanks!

Fortunately, the drama was usually just before lunch, so I'd use that time to take my own break and go to the supermarket cafe over the road, or if I was working as an attendant, volunteer for a shift somewhere in the stadium where I couldn't hear that rubbish!

Apart from that, and the occasional terrible weather, conventions weren't too bad to me until about 10-15 years ago.

Phizzy

I always ended up feeling gloomy and depressed, and a numb bum coupled with gasping for a Beer didn't help.

The only one that wasn't so much of a problem was Norwich, they parked us away from the Stadium and you had to walk along the canal to the Car Park............ past a lovely Pub. The guys who had really got it sorted had a barge on the canal to stay in, next to the pub !

TonusOH

I was 100% in during much of that time, so they weren't all that bad. Yes, the bus trips could be rough and the afternoons could be something of a grind, knowing you had to slowly work your way through the crowds and sit on the bus for another long ride and then get ready for the next day. Four or five days of that, and you were glad when it was over.

But there was a lot to enjoy, as well. In 1979, we moved from the South Bronx to an apartment further east (still in the Bronx) and started going to a different congregation that was in a different circuit but the same district. So the big conventions were a time to connect with people we knew but rarely saw anymore. The dramas were fun to watch. The announcements of new books/tracts were exciting. And you would occasionally get a speaker who was very good at keeping you listening (sadly, those were always too rare).

It was just too long. Including travel, we were looking at 10-12 hour days sometimes. And four or five days of that was draining. Not as bad when I was in school, since we would just go right back to summer vacation. But once I was working, it got tougher to get through the week of work, the convention weekend, then another week of work.

punkofnice

I liked talking to old friends, chatting up females and eating.

As for the content of the sessions, they were not memorable.

We looked forward to the dramas, only to see some blokes dressed in dyed blankets miming to awful American accents.

Gorb

Watching the opposite sex was not bad, till I recognized it dit not work that way.

I hated crowds so, it took a lot of energy.

Don't miss it at all.

G.

SydBarrett

"Yes, the bus trips could be rough and the afternoons could be something of a grind, knowing you had to slowly work your way through the crowds and sit on the bus for another long ride and then get ready for the next day. Four or five days of that, and you were glad when it was over.But there was a lot to enjoy, as well. In 1979, we moved from the South Bronx to an apartment further east (still in the Bronx)"

Just curious, why a long bus trip? I just assumed everyone in NY (or particularly the Bronx) would be going to Yankee Stadium.

TonusOH

We had one in Philadelphia's Veteran's Stadium in 1983, and I think we had at least two in the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. Those were more than an hour each way, I think.

road to nowhere

Memories are working, camaraderie with some brothers. I actually enjoyed attendant IF could help someone, not just count empty seats.

The only talks I remenber was old Freddy opining about time travel, and a couple times someone went off script and imitated a tent revivalits ( everyone loved it without realizing it was babylonish) ( same way nobody noticed Lett being nuts)

I fondly remember the year I skipped and took a road trip!

adjusted knowledge

I grew up poor as a witness and my family couldn’t afford vacations. So I enjoyed it for the couple of hours we may get to swim at a hotel pool. My parents were strict and angry most of the time so even that didn’t happen all the time. But at least we were able to leave our small town for a few days.

Did anyone really enjoy assemblies?

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