Posts by Nowman

74

Why do the majority of "newbies" disappear ???

by kid-A in

jw
friends

i have noticed that, in general, there is a "core" of regular posters on jwd that have been members for several years.. however, it seems the vast majority of "newbies" disappear after a couple posts, days or perhaps a week.

how many "welcome" or "introduction" .

threads have we had here where the new member disappears within a day or so, never to post again?

Nowman

So, I went back and read some of the responses. Its interesting to see how all feel about this subject. This topic starts off as being very positive feeling, then as you get to the 2nd page, then there is talk about the number of posts, the lurkers, the paranoia, or the one I was skocked at...the ones who don't post because of maybe a lack of knowlegde (not exact words)??? Im by all means not offended, but some may feel offended, yet we are free to express our opinions regarding answering a topic question. I took the opportunity to post on this topic so that other newbies and regulars could get to know me more. If other newbies don't come back or post hardly at all, so be it, its their choice.

Nikki

15

Whats the tallest tale you've spun and someone's believed it?

by misspeaches in

jw
friends

i was just remembering how one day i told my good friend that bed mattresses are made out of cigarette butts.

well i must have been very convincing because about a week later i happened to over hear her telling someone else about this 'fact'.

i had to quickly stop her and tell her that i had only been joking!.

Nowman

I went to 13 different schools. In the second grade, I went to 3. By the thrid grade, I went to my second new school. I was bored, I decided with this school, I was going to tell everyone that I was born in Italy and could speak the language. I would make up the Italian language and everyone believed me. I even made up a song in fake Italian and my friends would say "sing that Italian song" and I would, I kept it the same too. Then I became stressed because of my lies, eventually went to another school and did not have to lie anymore. What a relief.

Nikki

17

Lifetime raised JW's did you find your parents sick with obsession?

by restrangled in

what has come back to me and what i have realized through this website is that my mother was probably mentally very sick with this religion for most of her life.. it was a sickening obsession to obey, tattle, feel extreme guilt, turn in family members, and never, ever measure up no matter what she did.

endless months of pioneering, meeting attendance and studying for meetings were not enough .....ever....she is now 73 years old and still trying to pioneer in the exhausting heat of florida.

in her full time pioneering days she came down with breast cancer.

Nowman

What a subject!

I was an only child. Dad an elder, mom a regular pioneer. My parents were completely obsessed. To share some examples, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee Illinois, a roller coaster called the Demon. I was not allowed to ride it because of the name. My dad had a best friend that was an elder and he did not let his daughter ride the Demon either because of the name and therefore, my dad said I couldn't. I went to High School next to Great America, had a season pass, when my parents were not with me, I rode the Demon. I was just there with my kids, took them on the Demon as many times as I could, I was obsessed with riding the Demon just for the gratification! lol.

I had to sit between my parents at every meeting. Yet, when I was 15 this kid who was a JW, dad was an elder, killed his parents (this has been talked about on this site before) and my parents found the bodies. At the funeral, we went to sit down together as we normally do and before I sat down, I told my parents that I could no longer sit bewtween them because it gave me the creeps, Willie always sat between his parents! To my surprise, they agreed.

In 1989, my parents went on this "fit for life" diet. Therefore I did too. I starting losing weight. Eventually, they started weighing me every morning. I was not allowed to be under 105. If they weighed me and I was at 103 (because of fluctuation), we would get home from the Tuesday night meeting and my mom would pour a tall glass of milk and force me to eat 5 cookies. Then they would weigh me the next morning, I still did not gain weight. This would happen every night (late) until I did. Note that I was just so busy that my metabolism was great. Eventually, I was so worried about being weighed that I wound up later having an eating disorder. Freaks!

If my parents did not feel I made enough notes and highlites in the studies we had to prepare for, they grounded me or gave me some form of disipline. Every preporation for certain studies, I was so stressed out! Worried so bad that I felt I was getting ulcers. I spent my entire childhood walking on my toes.

There are so many things! Later in life, after eight years of not seeing my mom (have not seen or talked to my dad since Oct 1992), we reunited (Ive posted this before), found out she had been diagnosed with severe dispression and she also became an alchoholic. Growing up, she had the signs, but I just thought it was normal. She has been DFd for 5 years now, and has been over 3 years sober, I am so proud of her. But, these days we talk about the obsessions of my childhood and she apologizes every single time, shes so full of guilt. I tell her its OK, I hold no grudges. I just did not know she was sick, she was still in the org so deep, she did not know any better. I forgave her. She has her life back now.

Nikki

74

Why do the majority of "newbies" disappear ???

by kid-A in

jw
friends

i have noticed that, in general, there is a "core" of regular posters on jwd that have been members for several years.. however, it seems the vast majority of "newbies" disappear after a couple posts, days or perhaps a week.

how many "welcome" or "introduction" .

threads have we had here where the new member disappears within a day or so, never to post again?

Nowman

I m a newbie and I have not disappeared yet. I do not particularly post alot, I really spend most of the time here reaading the posts/correspondance and when I find a topic I can relate too or I feel I have a good comment, then I post. Because I have been DFd for 14 years now, I have no problem posting without worry that someone I know thats still a JW will read it, really do not see any of them anymore (except my neighbors that I grew up with, they know I m DFd, they say HI when in passing). Yet, so many are really careful about posting or the newbies do not continue to post because of gulit? You how being in the org can make your crazy with gulit (I should say for most). When I 1st discovered this sight, it was very exciting for me, I am glad to come here and learn so much, still getting to know everyone's style (for those who post regularly).

Nikki

26

Can you let go?

by whyamihere in

jw
friends

as i was sitting in a restaurant with my friend briana(ex-jw), we started talking about how we see other ex-jw's inability to let go.

i know many have suffered and endured horrific events or trials as jw's, which i assume it would be hard to let go.

though, do we really have the ability to let go lead a normal life with not thinking twice or having fear in our actions?.

Nowman

Its not that easy for some as we all know. Me for example, I never questioned anything before I left when I was 18, did not know what to question really. I just knew I was in a bad situation at home. I left mostly because of my parents and no one else in my family was a witness. Then I started to research that org and learned so much more about what I used to be apart of than when I was involved with the org. Yet, many have their entire families and friends in the org and will lose everyone if they choose to leave in an apostate way, they have to do what they have to do if that is what keeps them in association with those that have been around all their lives. So, it maybe hypocritical (maybe the wrong choice of words), but if that is how they choose to handle it and not be open about their true beliefs for the sake of losing everyone, then so be it. For me, I just did not care, and had plenty of others to support me with the whole shunning thing. Others don't. Thats why the whole shunning act is so terrible. People will just handle it in different ways.

35

when and where

by purplebunnyfoofoo in

jw
friends

.

when and where were you baptized.

1974 in evansville indiana, roberts muncipal stadium

Nowman

Hi purplebunnyfoofo...

Yes, bad part of town. Yet, Hawthrone was better than Sportsman...The year before that, Dad, Mom, and I were in the modern day drama. I played a worldly girl named "Dolly Winters". Maybe you were at that one too. I do not remember the DQ. I always remember the big Coke a Cola sign (the big red lip) on the way there, it was a way of knowing we were close by, I was coming from Norhthern Illinois at that point in my life.

35

when and where

by purplebunnyfoofoo in

jw
friends

.

when and where were you baptized.

1974 in evansville indiana, roberts muncipal stadium

Nowman

1989

Hawthorne Race Track

Cicero, Illinois

My dad babtized me, it was a surprise

87

YOUR LAST MEETING.........................

by vitty in

jw
friends

........................at my last meeting, the elder was talking about 1975 and said "it never happened, it is appostates using a time when (some) brothers took the info in the wt wrong"...................i just blinked and finally woke up.. i had been on this site lurking for a couple of weeks, and realized thing werent right, but to have some creep say on the platform " it didnt happen"............when this ruined my and my siblings childhood, just made me snap.

on the way home, i told my hubby "that was the last meeting im going to"................boy was he pleased.. .

so if you didnt get df ......................what happened at your last meeting.?.

Nowman

My last meeting was sometime in October of 1992. It was a Tuesday meeting. My parents begged me to come one more time, and so I did. I really only agreed to it because I thought this would help the shunning thing that was going to happen once I was DFd (I had not been at that point). It was such a scandal that I was there. I sat in the back row. There were way to many people getting up the go the bathroom just to get a look at me. I was so amused. I am sure it was very exciting. I kept looking around, and noticed how people would keep looking back at me, to just sneak that one look in with the hopes that I would not notice, but I was staring, for the fun of it. See, when I left, it was a shock to the congregation. We were known as this very spiritual family, but no one knew what went on behind closed doors. I had told no one. I planned my escape for three months, and left one day after I had spent the day out in service (I was a regular pioneer at the time, and mom too). My parents never in a million years would ever think I would have the balls to run away and never come back. So, that last time, was it for me and never have been in a KH since, just driving by one gives the willies.

6

BOWLING

by Lampshade Larry in

jw
friends

also, i would like to know how many jws or exjews gho bowling now?

we bowled all the time before.

.

Nowman

We always bowled once a month, and when I was younger, we went roller skating every Sunday night at the largest Roller rink in Illinois at the time, I think it was called Fireside. How funny that all over the world, other KHs were doing the same thing. Weird. In fact, my mom met my stepdad in 1983 at this same roller rink, again wierd.

As for bowling, did not bowl for many years until recently...I got on a fall league with some friends, I absolutely love it. We have blast. Came in 2nd place. Now we are on a summer league, called nine-pin-no-tap, if you get nine pins or a regular strike, its a strike! So much fun! I see and hear more people bowling now a days, at least around me...Its a fun sport, I think I just love all bar sports though, was on a pool league too, loved it, learned how to play real well.

26

Newbies Introduce yourselves!

by Sparkplug in

jw
friends

ok, i have been in and out of here lately due to schedules.

each time i log in there is a new member on the board.

when i go to see who they are...usually there is nothing and everyone is doing great and jumping right into conversation...but i for one would like to know your stories...anyone care to share or just introduce themselves to everyone?.

Nowman

I ve been posting since Feb 2006. Grew up as a witness, dad was an elder, mom a reg pioneer. I too became a pioneer, left the org when I was 18 after I went out in serice. That was 14 years ago. Been thankful ever since. My mom finally left in 2000 so we reunited after 8 years of no see, no hear. Dad is still a JW, have not spoke or seen him since Oct 1992, sad. Glad to know this site and learn so much about what I used to be apart of.