Posts by GoldDustWoman

i've walked past an old girl friends house, seen her watching tv through the window, by the time i'm knocking on the door she's told me that she had her head in the gas oven and my knock stopped her.. my mother in law walks into the sea for a pastime.

every time she can't get her own way she walks in up to her knees and waits for someone to see her.

GoldDustWoman

What Danny, Dave, and Skipper said!

Seems to me that one of the reasons we all empathize with each other as former JWs is that we know the pain of having been there. So when someone shares the devastating pain of a JW related experience, we circle our wagons and attempt to comfort them.

I shared with someone recently about my JW background. Their response? "So, what"? They just could not relate. Hard to when you haven't been there.

So, E-man, et.al, you probably haven't been there. You know what? I sincerely hope you never have to experience the loss of a loved one or dear friend to suicide. I think your cavalier attitude towards those that have, would be changed permanently.

GDW

46

Should I post here anymore?

by Mindchild in

jw
friends

that is the question i've been asking myself.

i'm not trolling for attention with this post.

nobody has hurt my feelings.

GoldDustWoman

Xena! I think you are on to something!

I think people need to ask themselves just WHY they come here and frustrated active posters need to ask just WHY do they post?

Mainly, when I post an opinion on something, it's to just express an opinion or an idea. For the most part, it's for purely for "selfish" reasons. Most of the time, my posts are ignored. That's ok, I don't post to earn the respect or applause of anyone here. Oh, sometimes what I post touches someone, and then let me know. It's also nice to know I can help someone once in a while.

I think that Proplog2 said it very well. Most just don't have the ability, or the want, to discuss serious issues at length. I like long discussions about subjects that I some experience in and knowledge. However! A scientist I ain't! If I don't have something to offer to the conversation or what I think to be a valid question, I keep my mouth shut and listen. I have learned much that way.

Anyway, MC, I just have one more thing to say to you:

DON'T MAKE ME GET THE ROPE!

GDW

46

Should I post here anymore?

by Mindchild in

jw
friends

that is the question i've been asking myself.

i'm not trolling for attention with this post.

nobody has hurt my feelings.

GoldDustWoman

Hi Skipper,

You know that you are one of my favorites on here. I tend to gravitate to posters that are, in my opinion, balanced. They can write thought provoking pieces with tremendous insight, yet, can roll around and play in the mud with the rest of us. I don't condemn anyone for preferring strictly "fluff" or the hard hitting investigatory posts. To each his own, but I am getting a bit tired of so many people formulating opinions that are not based in reality.

I did a quick scan of all the topics that are flaming.

There are FIVE that I would consider to be "serious" posts with serious responses.

1.Space.com dates Noah's flood to 2350 B.C

2.Can a person get salvation if he never read the bible

3.Response to the Society

4.Child Molestation Story

5.Let's make a Little Wager (Extremely long)

That is just for today so far. The other threads that are flaming are the "good-bye" threads, etc. There is not one thread so far that I would consider "Fluff" that is in flames. However, that IS my opinion.

If you consider someone trying to help another from killing themselves,or Dannybear's reaction to so many announcing their departure from this corner of cyber-space, to be fluff I won't argue it. If an individual considers them to be trivial and a waste of board space, I strongly disagree with them.

Maybe it is because so many of those so-called good-bye and personal bashing threads touch such an emotional cord in us that they are more of a drain on our mental and even physical resources. Just something to consider.

Skip, I think you present many interesting ideas on here. I think that you should ask yourself what it is that you expect from here and from us. Is it that you don't get enough feedback on some of the more scienctic writings that you post? I know you must put considerable time into writing them. Perhaps I would feel the same if I didn't get the discussion and exchange of ideas that was hoped for.

Here's a personal analysis for ya, Skip. You are an very unique human being. Where ever you go, you are never going to quite fit among the general population. Most folks just do not operate in your realm. I hope that I haven't insulted you, because I mean it as a high compliment (as opposed to a "low" compliment, WHATEVER that is!
lol).

So, do what suits you best. However, take all things into consideration. Don't miss the forest because the trees block the view.
It's your choice.

GDW

49

Mad as hell...shivered and cried like baby

by DannyBear in

jw
friends

yesterday, when farkel announced his departure and shunning of us all, i was incensed and outraged.

in fact i had similar feeling's to those day's 20yrs ago, after being df'd, where former friends and relatives, just simply said 'your no good, your not worthy of my/our attention anymore' turned thier back's and walked away from me.

then witnessed farkel ignore the sweet comments lilac's writes just for him....made we want to ring his neck.

GoldDustWoman

Hi Danny,

I had to think about your post for a spell.

I think you are on to something. I have been online for nearly 3 years. I have managed to make a friend or two in that time. What seems to be the prevailing attitude is that the friendships we make here, in cyberland, are of less value as those we make in the "walking and talking" world. That it is normal for people to just come and go. That may be the reality of online life, however, I know for myself that, the feelings that I "invest" in individuals here and in other places are real. I don't have a separate catagory for feelings and emotions for the people that I have "met" in the cyber world. So, when there is, unfortunately, a falling out, or just a growing apart, the feeling of loss is the same as if someone told me they didn't want to be around me anymore.

I think that might be why it seems like such a rollercoaster here at JW.com. Especially right now. People in crisis needing emotional support and people expressing their desire not to be around me anymore. I try to understand, but it's painful anyway.

I tell myself that is the risk I take. I invest sometimes and I get burned. I invest sometimes and the payoff is getting to know some really fine people. One of them being you, Danny.

So, I have done some of those things suggested, now and again, here. I have toughened up a bit. I attempt not to take things so personally.But, it's like walking a tightrope. A very delicate balance. I don't want to completely shut down my capacity for empathy and compassion. Yet, I can't be naive either. One of the limitations of the web is that things are not always what they appear to be. I remind myself that is also true in "real" life.

So, what's next? I'm not sure. If people think they need to leave, I certainly can't stop them. I bid them well in their future endeavors.
As for me, I'm stayin put!

GDW

26

And they talk about love?

by Xena in

jw
friends

with the 4th anniversary of my parents death looming and the anniversary of their last wedding anniversary party where my family was together and happy for the last time just being past ....i was feeling kind of depressed and wanted to reach out to what family i have left.

i sat there and debated in my mind if i should do it...should i try and reach out to my sister..see if i could reach her across the barrier of the jw religion.

should i try to remind her that we are sisters...we were sisters before we became jws and we will always be sisters.

GoldDustWoman

(((((((((((((((((((((((Zena))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm sorry you had to experience that, sweetie.

My Mother experienced much of the same by her JW siblings. There is only black and white with many of them. Gray is a color that does not exist in their world, no agreeing to disagree.

Fall on your face?? Yeah, I've done that a "few" times! At least when you "stumble" in the world, you are not marked as bad association.

GDW

24

my cousin's brother sends a card...grrrrr

by Mulan in

jw
friends

my cousin, sharon, who died in september.......was disfellowshipped three years ago.

her brother is still a witness, and wrote a thank you card to an elder in the congregation here.

this elder and his wife came to visit sharon a few days before she died, and before she started to lose her ability to make sense when she talked.

GoldDustWoman

Mulan,

There is so much to be said about this "Thank You" note that I really don't know where to begin.

I am mired in a quandry about how to respond. There is the "He's in the clutches of a mind-controlling cult and has been been programmed to respond in such an absolutely heartless way" stance. That way one doesn't have to hold him responsible for such a card. Curses to the WTS.

The other is "what a complete unfeeling cretin". To imply that her illness was Jehovahs judgment on her for leaving the WTS is so sinisterly depraved that any reasonable person (I like to think I am one MOST of the time) would have to resist mightly not to punch him dead in the face.

What about all the chidren of devoted witnesses that are victims of cancer? How does one explain that judgement?

It's probably a mixture of both. He's a creep and a JW. What a combination!

Respond if you feel the need to set the record straight with him. As evidenced by what he has written, I doubt whether it will do any good other than to get what you want to say off your chest.

Please let me express my sympathies for the loss of your dear cousin, Sharon.

GDW

62

How Long A JW ( Baptised )?

by hillary_step in

jw
friends

i frequently read on this board that somebody has 'been a jw for over 25 years' and then learn that they are in fact 25 years and three days old.. i am very easily confused, in fact i actually got inside a car of similar color to my own recently and spent at least five minutes with a furrowed brow trying to force my car key into its ignition, fortunately, i realised my error before i was arrested.

so, just to humor me, can you all post how long you were/are baptised jw's?.

thank you -- hs.

GoldDustWoman

I consider myself a sort of Apostate wannabe

My grandmother got the whole ball rolling when my Mom was 5. She met and married my Father at 14. I was born 3 years later. So, I was born into it. No birthdays or holidays as a little girl.

Family became inactive "officially" when I was 10. However, the teachings and fears never left me until I was an adult.

Father became active again about 12 years ago. I made it clear I would never be a JW.

Came here when several JW relatives contacted me after 20 years of shunning (though they deny shunning) to cast some light (not to be confused with "new light") on happenings in my past. What I have discovered is that WTS is as sinister as they come.

GDW

10

How To Gross Out Your Relatives

by OUTLAW in

jw
friends

yesterday two relatives came to visit me.as usual they go into the fridge to see whats to eat(left overs,i cook alot).i only had a turkey neck left over from x-mas,so they put it in the micro-wave to heat it up.as i watched them eating the meat off the neck i said,what are you doing.they say they are eating the meat off of the turkey neck.i said no,thats not a turkey neck,we had the dog fixed.they couldn`t spit the turkey meat out fast enough..(lol)...outlaw

GoldDustWoman

THAT must be one BIG dog you have, OUTLAW!

GDW

13

I Need To Vent...

by LisaK in

jw
friends

they found me.

i went to the grocery store yesterday, and an old congregation member was hiding in the parking lot passing out wt's.

(end of the month you know, gotta log all those placements for your service report) i don't know how they found me, but she said "i heard you're living over on so-and-so street?

GoldDustWoman

Ahhhhh yes!

The shopping center parking lot, where I shop, was also teeming with WatchTower toting women and children on the morning of December 31st. Looking at those little girls sadly reminded me of when I used to go door to door with the ONE other witness girl at my school.

I also noticed witnesses at other busy public places around town.

I'm with Lilacs. Either back off or I'm calling the police.

GDW (formerly Andee)