Congratulations! You are out there doing what we all should be doing------having fun! We should be thinking of all the things we couldnt do before because we didnt have the time due to meetings and weekend FS etc.! I have always admired pottery makers. A neighbor of mine years ago had her own kiln in her backyard. She made all her own vases, plates and bowls and cups. It was fun to visit her and pick your own funny cup to have tea out of. She also had a garden and painted and milked a cow too twice daily! All this and had 9 kids! She was an amazingly productive person! Congratulations to you and please post a picture of your pottery projects when complete!!
Posts by anewme
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15Pottery Class For Me At Last
by joelbear ini have had a lifelong dream to learn how to create ceramics.. i have my first lesson this saturday.
i am very excited.
there any other hairy potters on the board?
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52
What musical instrument do you play?
by anewme ini spent many many years peforming on the cello before becoming a witness at 18 and being encouraged to quit all my symphony associations etc which i obediently did.
i was a soloist once with a community symphony and it was a wonderful experience!
i have a recording of the concerto i performed.
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anewme
I spent many many years peforming on the cello before becoming a witness at 18 and being encouraged to quit all my symphony associations etc which I obediently did.
I was a soloist once with a community symphony and it was a wonderful experience! I have a recording of the concerto I performed.
I still have my little cello and got it out the other day. Ahh sweet music.
How many others had budding musical careers that got waylaid by the society?
Who is still playing?
What instrument would you like to learn to play? -
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What Websites Do You Often Visit?
by minimus ini was looking at my "favorites" and here are some that i like to look at: my homepage is the drudge report.
other favs include jwc, accuweather, the urban dictionary, tracone world newspaper page, the new york post and craiglist to name a few.
what about you?
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anewme
Yes I saw Google earth for the first time last night!!! Wow! I felt like I was flying! Incredible huh?
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3 hour tour - my sd interrogation.
by wordlywife inmy poor step-daughter went through what is called a jc meeting, 3 hours worth.
they have given her a week to decide before they df her.
she is only 18. gads.
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anewme
I dont know if this will help, but in my old hall there was a family that over the course of 10 years had five of its members DFd. One of them twice. But each of them came back in! It was amazing to watch.
I attribute the high return rate to the tight loving family they were to each other. The family never stopped talking to the DFd one, had them over to dinner, dined with the dfd ones new worldly girlfriends and boyfriends showing they were loving people.
And they always sat with the dfd one at the hall. You could see the support. But many in the hall criticized
this family for how they treated the dfd one too kindly.
But the proof is in the high rate of return.
My family, husband, mother in law (not even a witness,an RC, but decided to shun me too), 5 sisters in laws, 5 brothers in laws and 12 nieces and nephews and all long time friends have treated me as if I am dead.
Newsflash!!!
That does not work to make people want to come back. -
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Trouble explaining my life story to my boyfriend of almost 2 years
by findingmyway inwell, the time has come to explain my former jw life to my boyfriend of almost 2 years.
he's getting a bit tired of being there for me during my meltdowns and not knowing or fully understanding why i am having a meltdown.
i can no longer explain it as pms...he knows me too well now.
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anewme
Hi Findingmyway. I'm happy for you that you have this forum to consult and you have a lovely caring boyfriend who wants to understand. He just wants you to move forward and be strong. You will. You are moving in that direction.
People who know nothing about cults have no idea how strong they can be!
To move forward and eventually to move on means to keep coming to fresh new understanding of what happened to you and what is continuing to happen to you.
The JW provided a family for you early on with rules, boundaries, restrictions, praise, commendation, everything a young human needs from a real functioning family. No wonder so many gangs are joined by young people needing structure in their lives. Some young people join the military for the same reason... for structure, discipline and direction. Its not a weakness, its a human need. Ok so it happened to you that for this reason and that reason YOU FELL IN WITH THE "JEHOVAHS".
Not as bad a street gang or the mafia....they kill you if you leave. At least the witnessess just politely refuse to talk with you.
Its not your fault as one forum friend put it. And you can do nothing about it, (how they treat you).
What you can do is to get more hard headed! Since my dfing I have been observing how some people would never ever join a cult which interfered so much in their lives. Others, myself included, are more open to allowing outsiders tell me what to do, when, how and where. We are moldable, amiable, cooperative.
Some people are down right stubborn and rebellious and obstinate when it comes to anyone telling them what to do. I now see the self protection in the latter's thinking. Somewhere in between lies the happy medium for you and me.
Healthy self esteem and self preservation needs to be practiced.
Stop answering the phone. Let the answering machine always answer first. Do not call back anyone you do not wish to talk to. Get call screening or blocking...to protect your heart from hurtful words said on the machine.
Put up no trespassing signs.
Start protecting yourself from sad thoughts about the past. Stop missing people who are hurting you.
Protect your self from manipulative people!
You will heal faster if you begin right away to take this advice.
Your boyfriend will never be able to hear it all. He has a healthy mind that rejects all the crap we went through. And he shouldnt have to hear it all. That is why we are here for you.
Take care sweetie. You will get through this. -
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Down . sizing exceptions.
by Blueblades inthe watchtower has been down .
sizing everything except meetings.
where would all the money come from if not at all those meetings, in those boxes, ahem!!
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anewme
The many mandatory meetings and mandatory Field Service requirements were the big reasons I quit.
I have often wondered if I could have just refused to go to so many meetings and refused to report hours of witnessing. I had an elder husband who pestered me, then resented me and was embarrassed by me for slacking off in my attendance. I left him and the religion because my desire to have more private life caused so much discord between us.
Now that Im out Im wondering if I could have done things differently?
Are there Witnesses who go to the KH only occasionally?
Do they hit and miss the assemblies and conventions?
Can one stop reporting time and still be considered a Witness?
Would the elders pester a person to death?
Would they back off eventually and allow you to attend a meeting every now and then without DFing you?
this would have been my paradise on earth....to be able to keep my family and have my life my way. -
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Hug your loved ones NOW . . .
by pennycandy inwe trudge along in our little lives, worrying about bills and disagreeing about who should put away the laundry, then whammo!!!
the love of your life can be gone in an instant.. we returned from a weekend trip visiting family and suddenly my husband was vomiting blood, lots of it.
he was in the er within 30 minutes and in the icu in another 30 minutes.
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anewme
Thankyou PennyCandy, I will think of your story all day. My new husband has the day off and I will give him hugs and kisses all day. The life of our loved ones is sooooooooooo precious.
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anewme
Yes I was. I was most proud at District Conventions as I surveyed the colliseum and saw all the different races getting along so well all day for days. In my 35 years as a witness I was unaware of any hypocrasy or reason to doubt the society.
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can someone refresh my memory... where is the site with listings of exjdubs
by ezekiel3 inhttp://www.randytv.com/findexjws.htm
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anewme
Hi Stacey! I am new to the forum and do not recognize your name or face. But I was a witness in the Bay Area of California for 35 years. Maybe we know the same people. Thanks for the question and I got the website info.
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30
Death In the Family, How do I handle this ??? HELP !!!
by run dont walk inmy mom (die hard witness), is not doing well, she called me for the first time in over 3 years on sunday, she probaly has a year or less left in her, we had a good chat, she cried alot and said how sorry she was, and that there might be something to the things i have said.
(wow i almost fell over).
and then today my grandma died at age 100 (witness for 75 years +).
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anewme
May I too add my sorrow over your loss. Also my joy over what your dear mother said to you.
I would focus on what those two women mean to you. Lets show those JWs how an EXJW shows his love for his family! He or she is THERE when needed to be, despite what old worn torn smelly faded scriptures say.
I personally look forward to the next opportunity TO SHINE before my former friends and family who left me for dead!
WE ARE NOT DEAD!!! WE ARE ALIVE LOVING PEOPLE!!!
I agree to bring along a good friend for support. Look your very best! Support your dear mom and then leave.
Remember you are setting an example for others who are considering leaving and who have been wondering about your welfare. My how surprised they will be when they see you handsome and composed and happy, not green and addicted and foaming and hunched over!!!
Remember YOU ARE FREE! THEY ARE ENSLAVED! MANY WILL SECRETLY ENVY YOU!
But only if you are up to it.