Would you leave the Watchtower if you woke up at age 80 plus, or just stay in for the rest of your life. (page 3)

Magnum

Thanks for that, pistolpete; interesting. I wonder whether some GB members are in that same position. They would certainly have a lot to lose if they left.

DesirousOfChange

I say STAY within your network of friends, but shut off you wallet.

This was a hard decision at nearly 60 years old, let alone 80+.

We lost our entire network of "friends" from the Hall when we faded. Not DF. Not DA. Just "inactive & stumbled".

road to nowhere

Many of us old ones have our course set we cannot not move to the country, travel, buy a new car, get a girlfriend if wife dies.

Right now I can send some clumsy letters, make minimum donations to the congregation ( never the borg), and keep wife from too much distress. She says I dont act like I believe. If only she knew. We have 2 real friends, the rest are acquaintances and that is still colored by religion. She worries about the kids not being gung ho. Some comments lead me to know they have read here at some time. HI

If I won the lottery we would still be old and crippled.

Guess who shoveled my walk, brought iover a snack, helped me move a couch, ? Neighbors. Not even a phone call from the " leaders". BUT, they send a monitor every time there is an operation that could lead to bleeding

Overrated

I saw one time a pompous elder in the store one time. I told him to blow off in so many words when he tired to encourage me to return to Gee-hober.

Brock Talon

For me the answer is "It depends."

Scenario #1 is the one that has been told on this thread, where you have too much to lose to leave and you just grin and bear it, doing as little as possible and accepting the few friends or family relationships that you can, living with retired submission and hidden regret, but unable to do much of anything about it.

But scenario #2 is that perhaps it could be that I am still vital at age 80, my spouse has died (or divorced me) my children are not in and don't care for the religion, and I have somehow not alienated myself from them and other extended family. In that case, I would come clean to my remaining family about my finally coming to my senses, bolt from the religion like a bat out of hell, find myself a hot lady 20 years my junior to shack up with, and enjoy the few Christmases, birthdays and such as I have left with my remaining family. Heck, I might take up martial arts, buy a pistol and a shotgun and shoot 'em off every month, smoke a box of Cubans, go to Vegas and play the slots and see a fight and check out a slew of strip clubs. Then maybe I'd build a bar in my house and stock it with everything I've ever wanted to drink, wear T-Shirts with catchy phrases from Rap stars and pictures of classic rock album covers, play rap music loudly with explicit lyrics, watch any darn R or Mature Audience movie I want to, not shave for days or even weeks at a time, wear an earring when I feel like it, and buy lottery tickets for the huge mega million jackpots, start voting in local and national elections and even make friends with my city's Mayor and have him and his wife over my home for the huge parties I host with all the new friends I am now making... Wheeee!

Oh yeah, wait, I already did that.

Ucantnome

Yes, I would leave

Overrated

I don't think I would last to the age of 80 to get out. Glad I got out when I did, should of been sooner. I now have a good Bullshit -O - Meter that goes off when groups come round seeking recruit$.

3rdgen

Hubby and I learned TTATT at about age 60. At about the same time both of our 2ndgen JW widowed mothers needed our care. (both of us are only children).

We kept what we learned from my mother who was in her mid-90s and suffered from dementia. Telling her anything contrary to her religion would be pointless. However, Hubby's mother was in her mid-80's and still sharp at the time so we s.l.o.w.l.y shared certain doubts, questions, and experiences with her. we were always calm- sort of matter-of-fact like it was no big deal.

We could tell it was having an effect. At the point where we had to move in together, we noticed that she quit contributing. Then she stopped asking to be taken to the KH for meetings. Next, she quit the phone tie-in. On meeting nights I made her favorite cocktail, fluffed the pillows of her easy chair, and watched her favorite TV show with her. She never said it out loud but she no longer was a believer. Shortly after she moved in she passed away peacefully. For her, learning TTATT freed her from any F.O.G. I only wish we had figured things out so much sooner!

OnTheWayOut

All his children had left the religion.

Well, hold on there a minute. At such a late stage in life, I might trade in my "friends" for a closer relationship with my own children. There just isn't enough information here. I could go along with my wife and "stay" if we had absolutely nobody else to turn to in order to, but even then- we would have each other.

Well-meaning friends are awesome, but I just don't think I could keep my mouth shut in order to have rides to the doctor or grocery errands from younger friends or people to spend time with.

mickbobcat

At 80 you don't even buy green Bananas so why rock the boat at that late stage if you have family and friends that would be affected. I would however make sure that all my assets were tied up in a trust that would make sure the cult got not one dime.

Would you leave the Watchtower if you woke up at age 80 plus, or just stay in for the rest of your life.

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