When I was 12 or 13 I had an epiphany while looking at the sky. In my mind there was a sense of wonder at nothing in particular (not God or nature). At that moment I wanted to discover something mysterious. Soon I decided that it would be about the Bible since it was the only thing that I equated with mystery.
Sometime later, I went up to my door and discovered a leaflet. It was a JW leaflet on "Babylon the Great". It impacted me in a way that went beyond the rational. It was as if a light bulb had gone off in my head. So I contacted the Kingdom Hall listed on the flyer and a couple of elders came to my door. During the study I thought I was learning the secrets of the cosmos.
In retrospect, I realize that it wasn't about the Bible but a deep, instinctive yearning to learn something about anything of worth. Both the Bible and the JW version of it were like an unfortunate detour that sidetracked me for the 8 most formative years of my life.
Had it not been for the culturally accepted idea that the Bible is mysterious I would have chosen another subject like astronomy or paleo-anthropology - the study of prehistoric men - also a source of mystery.
I was curious and naïve.
Another factor that synergized with the first - also at age 12 - was watching the post-apocalyptic movie Omega Man (Charleton Heston). I wanted to be a survivor like him driving through the empty streets of Los Angeles.
I was aching for adventure.
