Posts by imnottheonlyone!

23

Hello

by Es in

jw
friends

hello to everyone, my name is esther and i am from australia.. i was directed to this website from my ex husband who also was a jw.

i guess in the truth we still are as we have not been df or disocciated ourselves.. i just wanted to say hi.

this is a great website, i had been brought up in the truth and had only decided to leave about 2 years ago, when my marriage was failing,i'm not a person who lives great by other peoples rules, especially when i dont agree with half of them.

imnottheonlyone!

Welcome! Everyone is so nice here!

24

Ladies, would you or have you used this???

by DevonMcBride in

jw
friends

http://www.p-mate.com/eng/intro.html

i heard this was a hot selling item in england and australia.

no need to sit on a filty toilet seat or squat.

imnottheonlyone!

Too funny! I remember going out in service waaaaaaaaaaay out in the boonies. There was many a time I had to go and no toilet to be found. The worst part is when you get pee on your good meetin' clothes and have to drive back to town, over an hour away. YUCK! This contraption would have been nice in that circumstance.

6

Shunned? Be Nice and Keep Trying!

by metatron in

a couple years ago, i bumped into a chronically ill brother in a store.

he was friendly initially but backed away from me quickly.

when he heard i barely attend any meetings.. i ran into him again last week.

imnottheonlyone!

I think it really irritates them to see us so happy! The best revenge is happiness!

D

9

No one's home?

by imnottheonlyone! in

i was just remembering back to when i was around 13 years old or so.

my friend, who was 15, and i were both pretty sick and tired of field service.

we tried to work together as much as possible and one summer we worked almost exclusively alone as door-to-door partners.

imnottheonlyone!

I was just remembering back to when I was around 13 years old or so. My friend, who was 15, and I were both pretty sick and tired of field service. We tried to work together as much as possible and one summer we worked almost exclusively alone as door-to-door partners. We would go up to the house and pretend to ring or knock. We'd get back in the car to account for our houses...and look at that! No one was home...We tried to be sure we got put in different cargroups to be sure we wouldn't be found out. We never got called on it! Bad, bad girl..I know.

D

27

Did you gain any good character traits as a result of being a dub?

by beebee in

jw
friends

i've never been a dub but i've been lurking around here on an off for about a year.

i came here to gain insight into my guy and it's been quite an eye-opening education.

thanks to all of you for all i have learned.

imnottheonlyone!

I am not condoning the way I was raised, but I think it did me a few favors in life. I was out in service since I was born, answering at the Watchtower study since I was three, and giving presentations at the Theocratic Ministry School since I was 7. I think that I was given some advantages among my peers to communicate in a way that was far above my grade level in school and life. I was able to achieve a top ranking in my career without a college degree. I honestly think this can be attributed to the skills and confidences I gained from being forced to participate. Does that make sense?

I remember a couple of years ago, I watched a trial of a ex-witness, Christian Longo. He had killed his three children and his wife, put them into suitcases and tossed them into the Pacific Ocean off of Oregon. Watching him on the stand, I immediately recognized that he had used the speaking and life skills that had been drilled into him as a young JW to gain an extraordinary amount of trust. He knew how to dress up in a suit, look like a professional, speak fluently (got to love the Theocratic Ministry School) He had embezzled close to $100,000 from various sources. He then killed his family when he was close to being caught. I guess he was really good at lying, I guess that is one trait that JW have in common. It was weird to see how someone used the same advantage I felt had helped me get ahead in life, for embezzling and murder. I guess JW taught us to be "smooth operators".

20

WAS YOUR CONGREGATION A GOSSIP MILL?

by badboy in

jw
friends

.

must dash,got a seat booked at the minibus cafe!.

my driver will be coming for me any moment now!.

imnottheonlyone!

I think in our cong it was pretty bad. Now looking back, I wonder if it was a form of entertainment. Living in a small town, not alot to do, people just loved to know what the others were up to. Kinda like the equivilant of watching "Desperate Housewives"....and let me tell you (in her gossip voice) there were some pretty desperate JW housewives in my area.

19

What did you do with your books?

by imnottheonlyone! in

jw
friends

i am curious...what did you all do with your jw books and paraphanalia?

i carted mine around for years and kept them in boxes.

i was like afraid to do anything with them, even though i was sure i didn't want them.

imnottheonlyone!

I am curious...what did you all do with your JW books and paraphanalia? I carted mine around for years and kept them in boxes. I was like afraid to do anything with them, even though I was sure I didn't want them. I wound up having a trash party about 6 years ago...and I felt one step closer to freedom. It looks like some are for sale on Ebay...a way to make a buck, but pass on the misery.

16

Jehovah Witnesses for Sale

by alias in

jw
friends

jehovah witnesses for sale.

aff check out the deals now!.

gotta love the "ebay" google ads showing up on some of these pages.

imnottheonlyone!

Oh my! too funny!!

31

I'm not alone

by imnottheonlyone! in

for years i have felt i was the only one on earth that was reeling from my involvement with jw.

i stumbled upon this website and feel an overwhelming desire to dance.

here is my story:.

imnottheonlyone!

Wow~thanks for such a great welcome! You have make it easy to feel at ease here. I know, Edge, I have been a member for a few months but just never had the courage to jump in. After talking to Doug, I felt I just had to introduce myself. I guess I am hoping in addition to being helped maybe I can in some small way help in someone else's journey to thinking for themselves. The guilt is mostly in the past at this point. It is said that "time heals all wounds" I guess that is true here too. The more time that goes by, the more complete I feel.

Yesterday, Doug and I were discussing missing out on the people that were our friends before leaving the org. It was such a thrill to reconnect with one of the cool people from that era. I told Doug in my original email," I remember you were always so kind to me, and I really appreciate you and your kindness. I remember you coming out to the car one Sunday after my mother had beat me down and pulled me by my hair out the Kingdom Hall...whew...but you were so kind. The only one who ever said anything to comfort me from the Kingdom Hall. Your compassion is still remembered."

I guess we just never know how our kindness can affect anothers life. Cause to tell you the truth, just his concern was enough to keep me sane at that time.

Anyhow, thanks again for the welcome. Let the good times roll!

D

31

I'm not alone

by imnottheonlyone! in

for years i have felt i was the only one on earth that was reeling from my involvement with jw.

i stumbled upon this website and feel an overwhelming desire to dance.

here is my story:.

imnottheonlyone!

For years I have felt I was the only one on earth that was reeling from my involvement with JW. I stumbled upon this website and feel an overwhelming desire to dance. Here is my story:

My parents married near the WTS home base in Brooklyn. They were sure we would never see school since we were born in the late 60's and early 70's and 1975 was soon upon us. My parents moved to a tiny town in the midwest when I was 4, to serve where the need was greater. I grew up in a very small congregation. These people were the only folks we ever associated with. My father went on to be an elder and my mom pioneered in many shapes and forms over the years. However, our seemingly little happy family was far from it. My mother was mentally ill, and was very off kilter and abusive. My father stuck his head in the sand and did nothing. The elders looked the other way when my mom would drag me by my hair out of the Kingdom Hall from some unrealistic infraction, like not sitting up straight enough. My teenage years were a blur, I tried to be a good girl and when I realized that it was impossible to please my parents and the JW as a whole, I started feeling like things were not right. I tried and tried to do the right thing. Gave nice talks on the theocratic ministry school, was baptized, served as a auxilary pioneer. I unfortunately met and married someone who came into the "truth" for me and of course that didn't work. In the years that followed that, I moved from the area to pursue a career in something that would support me and my child, since janitorial work was the only approved career field it seemed, and that was not going to support us. That relocation was God's gift to me. I was finally able to see the organization for what it truly is. I haven't been to a meeting since 1995. I started seeing a psychologist for anxiety and he had helped other JW's free themselves from the guilt and burdens that were inbedded in their brains. I guess I did what is called "fading away". I don't talk to anyone that is a practicing member of JW...even my parents. I have never felt more free of anxiety and at peace then I am today. I remarried a great guy 6 years ago and we are so happy. It's still hard though, there is no one to share memories from childhood or the crazy way in which I was indoctrinated. Even my dear husband can only understand to a point. I think you have to have been there to truly understand what life was like.

It is so nice to know I am not the only one! Glad to know you all. I look forward to sharing more thoughts and getting to know you better.

I'm not the only one!

D