Weird Meeting

iiz2cool

On the way home from work today I stopped at a local grocery store to pick up a few things. When I got into the store I saw an elder? from my first hall in there talking to a couple of women I assumed were sisters?. This is an elder? I used to drink with on occasion when I was still a JW. I just went about my business, looking for the items I needed when he came into the aisle I was in and stopped just a few feet away from me. He didn't look for anything on the shelves; he just stood there stupidly staring at me as though I had just sprouted a few extra heads or something. He had this "deer in the headlights" look about him. He didn't say a word, he just kept STARING! I ignored him, and just kept on with what I was doing, but I was wondering what was going through his mind. Did he want to talk to me? Or was this possibly his first encounter with an apostate that he knew personally? Was he looking for a physical manifestation of demon posession?

Or was this a subtle form of harassment?

Should I have said something to him? It looks like I missed an opportunity to de-witness to him.

I guess I can't count any time? this month.

Walter

Jim_TX

Yeah... that _is_ weird. On his part.

Since you saw him first... you had the 'edge' of being able to think about a reply - or whatever.

If it were me (of course, it's always easier to play armchair quarterback), I would have spoken to him - just a brief, "Hello. How are you?" type of conversation.

He may have been trying to talk to you... lots of questions... but didn't have the nerve to start. If you had started the conversation, he may have found his 'courage' to talk to you.

Oh well... it sounds like no great loss, though.

Regards,

Jim TX

Special K

Being disfellowshipped this has happened to me a few times. (Deer in the headlights.. freeze)

Some I ignore..

But there was this one lady I met at the grocery store.. and we were shopping in the same aisle after aisle..

I knew it was making her very fidgety by about the third aisle.

(Luckily I had read in the paper that her mother recently died)...

So I leaned over my cart and said.. Her first name.. and then said "All I'm going to say is this..I'm truly sorry your mother died. I read it and the paper and thought of you. I know you were close and it has probably been very difficult for you..and I just want you to know I'm sorry for your loss. .. And again that is all I am going to say okay."

The lady almost expressed tears.. and was really quite moved.. she said my name,, and thanked me very, very much. I appreciate you saying that and that it meant a lot to her " and then we went about our shopping in silence.

Thanks for posting about your experience Walter.. It made me think back to this J.W. .. I do believe I touched her by what I said on a level that was just behind the J.W. fascade.

Special K

shotgun

Walter

Do you not suppose he could have been admiring your girlish figure and those stelletto heels!

Euphemism

I agree with Jim, I would have just said: "Hi, how are ya?" No reason we need to play along with the shunning bull-crap.

That's pretty funny that he was just standing there, though.

Insomniac

Special K, you handled that situation so well, I really admire you for that. By something so simple as extending a normal human condolence to that lady, you may have helped her to reconsider the humane-ness of this whole stupid disfellowshipping thing. Even if it didn't change her mind about anything, you did the right thing, being kind to her.

Jim_TX

This brings to mind something that happened to me a while back when I was still married to my now ex... who is a JW.

We were in the local Office Depot one Saturday morning, and our Sister-in-Law who was DF'ed walked in to get copies made (or something).

My wifey saw her - and bolted for the door - not even acknowledging the poor gal.

I was taken off-guard - and was following the wifey - and then it hit me - I don't play by their 'rules' anymore. So I told her, "I'm going back in to say 'Hi' to Debbie."

I went back in and talked to her a bit. She was grateful that someone 'saw' her. Too bad though... she was - at that time - attempting to get back in that organization - playing by their 'rules' etc.

Stupid rules, if you ask me.

Regards,

Jim TX

Elsewhere

You should have very loudly said: "How many times do I have to tell you, I am not gay and no I will not be your gay lover!"

Lehaa

You should have very loudly said: "How many times do I have to tell you, I am not gay and no I will not be your gay lover!"

I wanna go shopping with elsewhere and follow all the JDUBS around. LOL

My response would have been "and", and then just left it up to them.

jukief

I think you should have yelled BOO really loud and watched him jump.

Weird Meeting

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