hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but i don't see this topic covered: is anyone else out there as christmas retarted as me?
i feel so awkward stumbling over the words "merry christmas" to friends.
also, who do you buy for?
Oh, Desbah! Santa claus is fake? That is so something my mother would say.
Kaylen, wine is always a great last minute gift. I was actually baking cranberry orange walnut bread this morning, my one and only real Christmas tradition. Second year now. We are going to put it in a basket with some wine and deliver it to the other two households in the building.
Yes, someone please do a quick and simple rule-list of Christmas for dummies.
hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but i don't see this topic covered: is anyone else out there as christmas retarted as me?
i feel so awkward stumbling over the words "merry christmas" to friends.
also, who do you buy for?
Yes, I hear ya, guys.
Thanks for the tips, it's true, it's not a popularity contest or rocket science, but it's stressful if you're constantly trying to look "natural" at celebrating it, you know?
Good idea for stocking a generic gift, I guess it happens to everyone that you get a gift but didn't give one.
I always was a fan of being creative rather than expensive. But the older you get, it seams the less cute "creative" is.
Bikerchic, I hear you, I still have yet to get to that blasted post-office, and my dad's birthday card is over a week late.. I meant well.
Mrs. Jones, my 15 inch tree is a fake one too! I originally bought it just for a side decoration for a room other than the one with the christmas tree, but this year, the 15 incher is IT.
hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but i don't see this topic covered: is anyone else out there as christmas retarted as me?
i feel so awkward stumbling over the words "merry christmas" to friends.
also, who do you buy for?
Yes, exactly, STP. I feel the same way with extended family. Do I just suddenly start sending grandma a gift after having not done so for twenty-some years? I feel silly.
i think the biggest reason someone maintains their faith in the wts is because the wts is the "ticket" to paradise earth.. how did you deal with the prospect that the "ticket" salesmen weren't totally reliable?.
did it cause you to let go of your hope in paradise earth?
did it redirect it to another hope?.
I feel like I've found a bit of Paradise, too. When we were dubs, it was like everything would be put off until Paradise. Marriage, having kids, education, spending time outdoors or enjoying nature, having hobbies, building a life, etc. "We'll struggle through life now having menial jobs and going out in service on all of our days off, but we can really live and relax in Paradise."
Now, things don't have to be put off as much. Though my life isn't great, I am free to enrich it if I so desire, and before I had to postpone that "until Paradise."
hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but i don't see this topic covered: is anyone else out there as christmas retarted as me?
i feel so awkward stumbling over the words "merry christmas" to friends.
also, who do you buy for?
Hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but I don't see this topic covered: Is anyone else out there as Christmas retarted as me?
I feel so awkward stumbling over the words "Merry Christmas" to friends. Also, who do you buy for? Work friends? Family only? Kids only? Last year I didn't get anything for my friend cause hubby told me people our age don't buy x-mas presents for their friends. Well, lo and behold, she got me like three presents. I felt like such an a$$. So I did scramble to get a gift for her, but it was given after the 25th.
I am meeting with a group of friends and friends-of-friends for dinner. I am getting a gift for one friend, but not the others, since I'm not close to them. But what if they all exchange gifts at dinner? Isn't it bad to not have a gift for everyone there? Or will they understand, and not have a gift for me either?
How many gifts do you get for your spouse? A whole bunch? One? None since you're sharing your money anyway? How about in-laws?
Do you have to send a Christmas card if someone sends one to you?
I did manage to put up lights and a tree last night, I'm so damn proud. The tree is only about 15 inches high, but it looks great there on the windowsill.
So who else is as Christmas-retarted as me? I'm starting to hate this time of year.
my brother is a self proclaimed apostate.
i see now that there is a wide variety of posters here.
so to those that have left the witnesses what would it take to get you back?
I would never return to the truth. Did you ever see the movie with Jim Carey, (shoot I forget the name of it). But he lives in this perfect little world, and he is actually livnig on a TV show, and has been all his life, but doesn't know it. So everyone hides it from him, and one day, he starts to suspect. so he sails off into the "ocean" and finally sees this actual ladder against the "horizon", and realizes that the "sky" is just part of the TV set. He tears through the wall, and is free. (Please tell me you've see this movie, or I won't make any sense at all).
So to me that's like the JWs. I KNOW it is all false. I would never go back because I am 100% sure that it is false, like a big fairy tale.
A simpler illustration: Why would a kid go BACK to beleiving in Santa Claus, after he's already found out the real story after seeing his parents wrapping the presents? He KNOWS that he's been fooled. Now he's grown and KNOWS the real story.
Got it? Am I making any sense to you? Good luck in understanding your brother.
we'll were do i start i've surfed your board and i now at the point of breaking away from the jw organization .
for about 2 years now i've read and done some research and seen all the lies cover up read "crisis if conscience" ray franz and i got to the meeting and see all these people hundreds just going about not being open minded if wt tells these people the world is flat the thats what they'll believe and never question it.
we'll im 28 and been a jw all my life met my wife got married i have 2 wonderfull kids.
Welcome to the board.
Yeah, what everyone else said. Plus, so as to not feel too isolated, try to slowly build a life outside of the thick social ties of the family/organization. Possibly with workfriends, etc. But do try to bring your wife along. It will help take some of the fear of the unknown away from what will happen "in the world".
GoodGirl
what were some major achievements in your life that made you feel proud, boosted your ego and intensified your sense of self esteem?
.
perhaps acquiring a university degree, getting a good job, saving someone's life etc
When I first read the title, I was going to post of a moment just now: my cat sleeping on my lap, one final presentation just finished this morning, and one more final exam to go, looking out the window at the fresh clean snow, and starting to study. That was nice.
But overall life: I remember driving with my car full of everything I owned, driving to move off to a university town, 4 hours away from home, and knowing I didn't have to go to meetings anymore. I was so proud of myself because for years I wanted to leave the JWs and go to school, but was too scared. I finally was doing it, and everything in the world seemed possible. (Funny how moving and driving are great moments for many of us.)
Also, when my husband and I had just gotten married x2 months, and we had packed up and were moving out of state. The best moment was driving up the entrance ramp to the highway, and again that feeling of "We're outta here, and anything is possible" came over me.
Presenting my master's research proposal a few months ago, it was a great job, and I knew the answers to curve ball questions that the professors threw out. Felt like I was walking on air when I left the meeting, so I went out and bought myself a hot dog with everything on it, and went on a little shopping spree for myself.
When I cleaned my whole house because my mom and sister were coming up to see it for the first time, my first (and only) owned home. They were really proud of me, and my mom was actually happy for once, with no JW things on her mind. I could tell she was proud.
as many of you know, i have a myspace.com account.. apparently, while i was out last night, someone called my mother and informed her of my activities on myspace.
my mother called and asked me for my login info, and was shocked to see me, and around 40 witnesses in my area having active profiles.
contents of these profile ranged from a few pictures to downright self-incrimination.
To one of my favorite people on this board:
May not be as permenant as you think. Yeah, public libraries have internet, so check in with us now and again. Your mom will be ballistic for a few days, but she will eventually calm down a bit as she accepts who you are: normal. Lay low with the congregation, and I hope you can move out as soon as is reasonable for a young guy like yourself.
And if we don't talk much in the future, thanks for cheering me up a few months ago with that one great picture of your chest! I just love ya!
GoodGirl
i'm not the newbie anymore, but i've been very much off the site lately.
not for lack of appreciation for what is here, i've just been busy.
i am now married to my brit boy (who is a non jw).
congrats. I'm a fan of the fade myself. I married out of the truth, and they weren 't happy, bu they just accepted it. Yes, be very vague and nonchalant with elders and parents.
