Shunning is dehumanizing. In a moment of clarity it struck me that I didn't want to be associated with a group that treated their fellow human beings that way. At the end of my life, I want to look back and be proud of who I was and how I lived. When I think about who I am and not who JW's want me to be, it becomes an amazingly simple choice.
That doesn't mean I don't feel sad at times or that it is easy. I just don't want to be a aligned with those who do that to people. It's awful. Be true to yourself and do what is right for you. That my friend is the real life.