My love and I went to the big city today for the Old Port Festival- the city blocks off several streets, there is live music, horrible fried foods on sticks, pasty looking Mainers wearing shorts for the first time in nine months; all in all, a fun, casual day. The area where this is held is a few blocks from the Civic Center, where the jw's always hold their assemblies.
While waiting in line for food, my honey whispered that he saw a man wearing a name badge that read Godly Subjection.He had no idea what that signified. When I looked around, sure enough, there was a witness couple- both of them sweating in their assembly clothes, wearing dorky looking name badges, and looking really furtive and uncomfortable about being in the street festival. I quietly explained to him that they were witnesses, attending an assembly nearby, and that they really weren't supposed to spend their lunch break at a fest like this one.
I quickly pointed out three or four other dubs in the crowd- ever notice how they stand out? Maybe it was just my imagination, or I was being influenced by my own memories of sneaking away from the crowd at assemblies, trying to pretend I wasn't with those people, that I was just a regular person...But those folks did not look happy at all. They looked embarrased, and a little bit wistful, as though they might have been having the urge to pull off their ties and pantyhose, and dance in the street with the rest of us.
As I was reflecting on this, and feeling bad for them, my love leaned over, kissed me, and whispered "There but for the grace of God go you. You were smart enough to escape. Let's hope they can, too." At that moment, I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, and also of compassion for these people whom I didn't even know. I really do hope (and I'm praying as well) that these folks who have been "skinned and thrown about like sheep" will find the neccessary courage to one day just not attend the assembly, to not go in field service, to just spend a fine afternoon with their loved ones at a street fest, finally feeling like regular people.