Observations/Questions from forum newbie (page 2)

Vidiot

We kind of already have categories…

… PIMI, PIMQ, PIMO, POMI, etc…

PioneerSchmioneer

I'm with Vidiot.

Nothing against Obrien, but I don't fit into any of those new catagories. The other ones, already in use by JWs, explain who we are.

For instance, I am POMO, meaning Physically Out, Mentally Out.

It took some time for the exJW/PIMO community to work together to develop a lingo and to create these catagories.

Q stands for "questioning." I stands for "in."

We don't have a letter (yet) for describing someone who was never a JW as these letters are used to describe someone's personal experience for living through the Watchtower religion--and after use in common acceptable discussion in our vernacular.

Obrien

I didn't realize there was an existing vernacular although I had seen some mention of them in posts. I can see how it would work well for those currently in or recently departed. I'm not sure if there's a subset that indicates how long a person has been out for which I was trying to capture, sort of a timeline from In to Long Gone. It struck me that it matched up well with the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Each stage takes time to work through.

PioneerSchmioneer

Not everyone goes through grief upon leaving because not everyone has the same connections or same experiences upon leaving.

I did not have a sad leaving. It was a very happy one for me.

Ron.W.

Welcome Obrien!

After speaking to a close jw family member about the blood card for ten minutes today I recognise I am an

EJWNOB

EX JW NORMAL, ONCE BRAINWASHED!

👍😉🤣

LongHairGal

PIONEER SCHMIONEER:

I didn’t have a sad leaving either.. I planned my long overdue exit from the JWs.

It felt like a breath of fresh air and that a load of bricks was lifted off me when I stopped going to meetings. 👍🏻

stan livedeath

we had a gay person on here a while back--he classed himself as a homo pomo.

Obrien

PioneerSchmioneer, yes I didn't go through grief upon leaving either but looking back I would say I was in denial when I was in, when I left there was a period of euphoria where I did all the things that I couldn't when in. Over the next 30 years after I would say there was some anger when reflecting on the things that happened. I see a lot of anger on here, so some are experiencing that. The bargaining would be along the lines of, if I wasn't raised as a witness what different choices would I have made, would my children have had different opportunities. The depression is more a sadness when reflecting on some of the memories and the time wasted. The acceptance is along the lines, it is what it is, the anger and sadness replaced by acceptance.

PioneerSchmioneer

LongHairGal,

I'm with you. It was exactly like that with me. I planned ahead of time--had my life outside worked out, planned, prepared, and just walked out one day from one world into the next.

Obrien,

I was not raised as a JW and did not get married while in the org--which I am so happy about. I have had a very successful career and education--but others in the organization were never happy with that...ever. So much was not lost--just about a decade of time.

I was stuck into it due to my family leaving me with an uncle and aunt after my family split apart, but once I was old enough and able to get on my own, and I was able to get on with things without the Watchtower.

I do feel for people who have had a far different situation from me as I cannot place myself into their shoes. I cannot imagine what it must be like. But I always remember something I was taught, that happiness and hope in life are never given, they are only taken. And that good things do happen, but only because optimism is a lifestyle, not a guarantee.

Obrien

PioneerSchmioneer Yup you nailed it.

I suppose there's so many different experiences here, mine was the 8 year old wondering where the xmas tree was this year and having to lie about the toys received at school rather than explain the long story. The walk of shame every morning when the national anthem was played as your dad had gone to school to explain the new faith to school administrators. I sometimes forget not everyone here went through that. Even at 70 those memories remain, and that's part of the damage that the JW org inflicts.

Observations/Questions from forum newbie

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