Thanks! I have actually been to the House of Blues in New Orleans. It rocked! But it was absolutely packed, nowhere to sit. No offense to New Orleans folks, but I really didn't care for it too much. It was more than a little scary walking down Bourbon Street where 99.9% of people are absolutely wasted. A lot of homeless people too. (This was pre-Katrina). It was neat to have gone there, but I wouldn't care to go back.
Anyone else familiar with Las Vegas?
Huh? Where'd you hear that?
I've never been to Vegas before, but I'm flying out in October for a business conference. I won't have a chance to do a lot of touristy things, but I'd like any advice, tips, etc. if you think of anything I should know since I'm a Vegas-virgin.
when it finally registered that you did not really have the "truth" after all, what went thru your mind?
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when things "clicked", what was your emotional state and what did you about it?.
AK Jeff- I particularly enjoyed your anaolgies of a long-put-off surgery, painful amputation, survivor of a malignant tumor. Very well written!
When I first allowed myself to acknowledge my feelings about the JWs, I felt rather depressed, lost, guilty, etc. Which is how they want you to feel. It was really hard to admit to myself that the religion I so strongly defended to my family, coworkers, etc., was a sham. It was an assault to my being, as I considered myself a fairly intelligent and reasonable person; yet I was duped by the borg and gave up so much for it.
After a short time, though, I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I started looking forward to things, to see things so clearly without the thick veil of dub-thinking in the way. Things have only continued to look more optimistic. We're now approaching our one year anniversary of DA'ing, and there's no looking back!
don't get me wrong - there were things i enjoyed.
the casual atmosphere and dress.nice people and not pushy.the christian message.wearing my blue jeans and tennis shoes instead of cheap poly suitexposing my g-kids to religious choice without any pressure to commit or conform to anything.i attended the adult sunday school program in the sanctuary while the kids enjoyed children's sunday school in the lower level.
there were only 15 or so adults in attendance.
That's what LDB and I term: Creepification
Jeff-have you read In Search of Christian Freedom by Ray Franz yet? If not, I would highly recommend it. He has quite an interesting perspective on the nagging feeling about 'where to go' once you've left the borg. If I were you, I'd skip a Sunday church visit and stay home to read it.
we all hear stories an experiences that happened to a "friend of a friend," and the witnesses are no exception.
they even have their own urban legends.
here are my favorites, and please post yours as well.. 1. watchtower theologists according to one of the old guys i used to pioneer with, there is a super-scary-secret organization of apostates called "watchtower theology.
True, true bigd. This is exactly why I hate when people say things like "God was really looking out for me." after they were in a horrible accident, in a coma for 9 months, lost a leg, etc. But at least they didn't die, so god must have been looking out for them. If he was, why didn't he prevent the freaking accident from happening!!!
I also hate it when celebrities, especially musicians, thank their "lord Jesus Christ" (eyes raised upwards) when they get a music award. Why in the heck would Jesus (going along with the assumption that he even exists) care if some rap-crap artist got an award, when he, as bigdreaux said, allowed people to die in concentration camps, get raped, starve to death, etc.? Stupid, stupid, stupid...
so what is it?
i say mine is english with an admixture of german (before the nazis ever existed, no need to go on about that) northern french and italian from venice.
i look northern european and feel close to that part of the world with family tradition being roman catholic.
what i do is, i get drunk, then start to hate myself, so i fight myself, but i give up really quickly. then i steal my own stuff.
You're too funny, bigd.
I'm what they call "northern european". My dad's side of the family is traced back to Switzerland. My mom's family is English. So there's where I get my blue eyes from.
purps' wonderful thread about love made me wonder about something else.
what have you achieved/become since leaving the organisation that proves there is a happy, successful life outside being a jehovah's witness?
for me, although it's only been a very short time, too short to achieve much, i count becoming: non-judgemental of my fellow man; a mum that can give her kids all the room to grow and blossom without fear of 'sinning' or being kicked out for bad behaviour; a person that can feel comfortable worshipping in a church or not, depending on whatever i feel like doing; someone who can love and give freely and celebrate life in all it's glory (i just love birthdays!
I feel I have awakened from a coma and have been asleep mentally for the last 35 years!
Everything is new and exciting and interesting and Im glad to be here!
Im glad to be ANYWHERE after what I went through!
For me, just staying alive now and laughing and enjoying each day is a triumph over that creepy group who would rather see me dead!
So very true!
In our case, we're only a few weeks away from our one year anniversary of DA'ing. What a wonderful, peaceful year it's been. Not everything has been great or easy; just cuz we're out of the borg doesn't mean life is suddenly perfect. But god, it's so much easier to make decisions based on our own good judgement, what we want, and not worry about how that will look to the dubs.
LDB finished college and got a very nice job. I have a great job (and have had it for 7 years). We have now celebrated all the holidays once. Soon our 9-year-old son will celebrate his second Halloween. I'm furthering my nursing degree-working towards my BSN.
We can say "Good luck" without guilt. We can wish someone a Happy Birthday.We can go to Holiday craft shows. We can feel completely non-judgemental towards others in respects to their beliefs, practices, etc. This was one of the first things I noticed when we DA'd. This thick veil of judgement was lifted from our eyes, and it was like we were seeing things unclouded for the first time in 14 years. I could go on and on . . .
little drummer boy bought me this today.
on tuesday we will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary.
he's got good taste in jewelry, doesn't he?.
do you ware that in the front or the back? carmel
Uh, well, it's a necklace, so I'd wear it in the front. What do you mean?
minister amos said .
>>oh and brother and sister co. don't eat such and such food.<< .
brother co would send us a letter about a month in advance stating his dietary requirements and what sort of accomodations he would prefer.
That is absolutely rediculous to mandate that no one can wear deodorant, wash their clothes, etc. for the CO's wife's sake. I would have outright refused to attend the meetings when they were there. How 'bout that, CO's wife? No one at the KH = no allergies. That woman did not belong in the circuit work. They should have removed her hubby as CO due to his wife's extreme "health problems".
One CO's wife that visited our congregation was hyper-allergenic. Her allergies were of every sort of food and every type of chemical. When we'd take them out to lunch, she'd bring a brown bag lunch of her "all natural" crap. All conversations with her revolved around her food sensitivities and allergies. She was absolutely obsessed with it. Definitely sounds like a phenomenon among CO wives.
