I just saw this Happy video for the first time. I saw the other one a few years ago from the main Bethel.
This time it struck me as so sad-because I have rarely ever seen JWs actually or truly exuberant. If we did the "moonwalk" we would have been counseled about it. Dancing in a hall or on any of their property would have gotten any of us dragged into the back room for a lecture. Hell! I saw CLEAVAGE in this video!.
Throwing medical supplies around, playing with machinery and making it dance. . .OK. I am not a person that is always railing at the entire WT system and all the little hypocrisies. This one though just made me cry-because I realize that while I had a "good childhood" in the sense that my parents didn't harm me beyond the occasional spank-physically, I do remember feeling constrained from even laughing out loud, from goofing off, from being silly and acting like a kid. To this day, my mom is the most joyless person I know. My aunt is a close second. Their superior, condescending attitudes put rain on everyone's parade. What is worse? I didn't change a whole lot even when I left. I am still shy about expressing myself. I have recently opened up to husband about some things (he had difficulties because of his family financial situation when growing up and everything for him felt like it was about survival, literally). I am sometimes ashamed of my "issues" because I know how good I had it compared to 99% of the world in many ways-but laughing out loud with my friends? Even if we had skating parties, we were sedate.
I hung around a family from S. America for a season when in an area far from my home and the JWs there were a lot more relaxed than my congregation and family, but still-dancing down Bethel hallways Moonwalking? Be bopping across WT signage?? Never happen in 1985 in any part of my world.