How did you feel.......when

morty

You had to stand in the hallway for O Canada?( or your anthem?)and the lords prayer?

Still to this day,the humility still bothers me..........Now I stand for my country with self-respect.....

I think this was the hardest thing I ever took alot of flack for at school......Holidays were easyer to get around with because

mom and dad just did not send me..ie...parties and stuff.....I went to a small school and there was just 5 of us that were

JWS.(3 being my myself and 2 siblings) Now in my sons school...did you know the JWS come to school after the

anthem.......After attending a school reuion 3 years ago, thats one thing everyone commented on........gaaawd it

still burns my butt that thats all they remembered about me............your feelings on this?

mortons68

xjw_b12

Mortens68 Don't like to see a thread go by without a response.

But girl you must be having font-isis. From Bold CAPS to size 4 courier. I had to squint real hard to read this one.

Yes I am still remembered by a lot of my old school chums as the "guy who stood out in the hall. It's nice to be able to go to a sporting event, etc. and not have to come in late just to avoid the National Anthem.

ChimChim

I never had to wait out in the hall, I just wasn't aloud to stand up, I had to sit there listening to all the kids sing. but meh, I'm aloud now

~*!ChimChim-Waffle-Tush!*~

Gopher

In grade school...standing for the "pledge of allegiance" and not saying it when everyone else was... was the worst!! I felt my face turn red every day.

And "sitting down" during the playing of national anthem at sporting events -- I just couldn't wait for the song to get done. I always expected but never got rude comments from other fans attending the game. But I had an answer ready: "I am an alien resident." (How lame would that have been?)

Now it's good to be able to show normal pride in one's country and feel good during the anthem or other patriotic song ("God Bless America", "America The Beautiful", and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA").

Nosferatu

Yeah, I remember the whole O Canada hallway thing. I still remember standing out in the hallway listening to that old worn out tape being played over the speakers. There were a couple of years I wasn't alone out in the hallway. I dealt with all the JW stuff in elementary quite well.

I remember when O Canada or God Save The Queen came on during assemblies, I would get up and walk out of the gymnasium. There were times where I had to walk out 2 or 3 times during one assembly. It was kinda annoying.

When high school hit, that's when things got difficult. I made up an excuse to my classmates for being late everyday. In high school, there was a designated room for all the JWs to sit in. I think this is a reality that hit me; why be in another classroom for O Canada? What's the difference? Standing up? Big deal!

Before I transferred schools, I started staying in class for O Canada. I think the teacher knew that my faith in my religion was dying, but he supported me in whatever decision I happened to make that day, whether it be staying in the classroom, or going to the JW classroom. I think I kept making appearances in the JW classroom so I wouldn't arouse suspicion.

After I transferred schools, I stayed in class. It was incredibly awkward at first, but I got used to it.

starfish422

Yup, I had to stand outside. Up until grade 8, my parents came in and explained everything to my teachers; but in grade 8, my mum couldn't go; so I had to do it myself.

In high school, there was a designated room for all the JWs to sit in.

My high school had that too; as if we weren't already treated as lepers.

Now when I'm at a sporting event, political rally (yup, you read that right), or whatever, and the national anthem is played, I sing it loud and proud.

Sassy

I sure don't remember all that with fond memories. It was always sooooo embarrasing to go to say a basketball game and stay sitting. Usually if I was the only JW and and with "shudder" worldly friends, I stood up any way but didn't put my hand on my heart or all that.. but I tried to appear to 'fit in' rather than STAND / er sit OUT. But if I was with JW friends, what you could you do? if they stayed sitting, you almost had to too.. I hated those moments.

metatron

The Canadian anthem is beautiful. David Letterman once had it played for his whole audience.

I wish "America the Beautiful" was the US anthem.

metatron

CountryGuy

You know, I've noticed that depending on what country (or part of the same country) Witnesses are from, they have different "customs." Thank goodness we were not required to go to the hall during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance. Heck, we could even stand, just not salute or hold our hand over our hearts. I wonder why JWs in the US do one thing and those in Canada do another?

And, I agree. "America the Beautiful" would be a much better national anthem for the US.

Country Girl

I didn't have to go out in the hall. I just remained sitting while everyone else stood up. The anthem made me have two emotions: anger and pride. For sure, the national anthem of the US is not near as beautiful as the Canadian one, but its still a source of much pride to me. I was a born patriot, and it made me *sick* to have to sit down amidst a sea of people with their hands over their chests. The song itself brings back lots of unhappy memories to me. I wanted so bad to stand up like the rest of them and sing that song. I wanted that so badly. Mostly because I was accutely aware of the conditions in my Father's country, and howbad things were over there, and I was just so proud of having been born here and how beautiful this "basket of plenty" was, and how much I appreciated it. I wanted to sing the national anthem because I love this country. I was raised in a house of immigrants. It was hard on our family, because our grandparents didn't accept my Dad, an immigrant from Greece. He learned to speak our language, he went to our colleges, he tried hard. They didn't accept him as my Mother's husband until he finally exhibited that he was totally assimilated and could speak English. They don't do that now. Signs are in French, English and Spanish.

But the Anthem makes me shiver with excitement and emotion. I love being able to vote.. and I love the anthem. That I can now cross my hand over my heart and sing it. It means so much to me.

CG

How did you feel.......when

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