Minimus,
I've thought about this a lot recently. It seems like there were good things. For example, after returning from my year-long trip to Japan (not WT sponsored), I spent about five years helping a Japanese language group here in Seattle. This kept me regimented and busy using the language, greatly improving my reading proficiency, to where by the end, I could sight-read for bookstudy (meaning, read fluently without ever having looked at the material) although, of course, I tried to be a good Witness boy and study ahead at all times.
I also lived with an 80-year-old man and learned a lot from him, such as extending hospitality to others. I've had many people, including homeless people, stay at my house, which I might not have done without the experience. And the old man finally sold me the house at a decent price, which I am eternally grateful for.
On the other hand, it's difficult to say whether things would have been better or worse in other circumstances. If I hadn't been so busy with meetings, I might have been able to stay in college. I might have got involved in a career that directly used my language abilities. I might have had the human experiences while living with non-Witness roommates. It's really impossible to say what would or would not have occurred on a different path.
My friend and I calculated that the average 10-hour-a-month publisher spends about 90 hours a month in meetings, service, preparation, commuting, etc. That's a lot of time that could be used to improve yourself, to go to school, or to work another job. And then there are the intangible benefits that would have accrued from being less closed emotionally and intellectually.
In financial matters, even a bad investment can teach us things. The one thing that I do think we have as ex-Witnesses is the very clear, personal understanding of how people can be controlled and what it is to be in such a group without knowing it. This one piece of knowledge is a gem that few people possess. It has certainly broadened my understanding and compassion in dealing with others. However, this one positive aspect is something that the WT Society did not intend to give us. Having it at all has depended on our own personal strength, not the goodwill of the Society.
So in the end, while I am happy for what I have now, I don't really feel like there is any basis for saying that my life was improved by being in the organization. The important thing, I believe, is that as humans, we have the ability to press onward and try to use every experience - both good and bad - to improve the lives of ourselves and others.
SNG
