Being a JW kid in school was always difficult. I always felt different, never part of the whole school experience. I would be so glad when Christmas was over, but then it wouldn't be long till Easter and so on. I felt as if I was always saying to the teacher - I can't do this, that, whatever.
In primary school most of my teachers dealt with it pretty well, but things happened like being told I should really leave the room as the class was having a bible lesson. I really detested having to explain all the time, and never being sure as to what the purpose of all this was. Practically all the kids in my class didn't understand it anyway - although one kid announced that his parents had decided I must be Jewish.
Christmas was always the worst time - I remember being overheard by a class teacher telling the other kids in my class what I supposedly got for Christmas. She knew I was lying, and I felt really bad, although I could see she was sympathetic. I used to get angry at myself for not being strong about this - so much guilt that I didn't have the guts to stand up for my beliefs. I freely admit to feeling bitter at having gone through all this for no justifiable reason.
The worst part was if someone saw you out on field service - that was the absolute end. I was lucky I was never bullied, but I did get isolated incidents of teasing, thankfully short term. I coped with it by living a double life - one face for the KH and one for the outside world. The other kids at the KH were similar, most of them were denying their JW credentials despite their piousness on a meeting night.
When I think back on it, getting through all of that was really tough - but I did it. This illustrates the strength of the brain washing employed by the WTBS, causing a parent to become oblivious to the emotional pain their child is going through for the sake of furthering the cause of a corrupt organisation.
