Posts by LearningMore

22

When the meetings seem endless....

by XPeterX in

what do you do/used to do?i go to the bathroom for more than 10 mins,then read something irrelevant or think of something irrelevant or go out for a while and so the meeting comes to an end..

LearningMore

When I was younger...actually probably up to 16 or so, I'd see how long I could hold my breath. I'd time it with a watch with a second hand. I don't think I got past about 45 seconds.

I'd also do what everyone else said....take bathroom breaks, and water breaks. I'd time them so I could break up each part of the meeting. I'd also read other parts of the watchtower; I especially enjoyed the personal experiences 'cause at least those were more like a novel.

Sometimes I'd re-read the scary parts of the bible like when that guy was killed for touching the ark of the covenant or when Lot's (was it Lot?) daughters were sent outside to the townsmen. Icky.

1

Another Facebook thread

by LearningMore in

so, i know this has likely been discussed before, but i am still amazed at what i see of witnesses on fb.

i see references to birthdays, or actually celebrating of birthdays.

i just saw pictures of one witness i knew (i am guessing she isn't one anymore...) eating a birthday cake and opening birthday gifts.

LearningMore

So, I know this has likely been discussed before, but I am still amazed at what I see of witnesses on FB. I see references to birthdays, or actually celebrating of birthdays. I just saw pictures of one witness I knew (I am guessing she isn't one anymore...) eating a birthday cake and opening birthday gifts. The album was titled, My Birthday. What surprises me about this is that she has as "friends" at least two active witnesses. These photos were open to the public, as were her friends. So, if there were "trolling" elders, they could also see it all.

This all makes me think that maybe my family was just super strict (?). Were some active witnesses celebrating birthdays all along, and I just didn't know about it? Did any of you celebrate birthdays when active? I am just perplexed. I am so paranoid to have anything "incriminating" on FB simply because I don't want to "deal" with the issues that might arise.

I am also a bit surprised that "strong" witnesses are "friends" with witnesses/former witnesses who are blatantly doing non-witness things. One of birthday girl's friends is a long-time witness with elders in both her family and her in-law family. And, we aren't talking about kids/teens....these people are in their 30's. Hmmm.

14

Getting Sick

by thebigdebate in

jw
friends

how many here faked being sick as a kid, so you could skip meeting?.

my mom and sister still fake there sickness so they dont have to go!.

thebigdebate.

LearningMore

That is so funny. I remember in the early 90's or so, there being a real "outbreak" of chronic fatigue among witnesses. I also remember the fragrance allergy thing. A couple of women I knew were allergic to the new carpeting in the hall. I forgot what they did to cope with that. Another had a hard time going to the conventions because of all the different perfumes the women would wear.

It is true....I don't know anyone outside of the religion who also suffers from those same problems.... Mickey Mouse: It is interesting what Combatting Mind Control said about needing rest from the pressures of being in a cult. One of the ones who had chronic fatigue was a regular pioneer in what was apparently a bad marriage (they divorced, both were DF'ed, etc.).

12

My son is visiting this weekend and he wants to go back to college

by troubled mind in

jw
friends

when my son was in high school he received a scholarship for two yrs at our community college .

we were all witnesses at that time , but we encouraged him to go for the education .

he would have to attend night classes two nights during the week that interfered with meetings.

LearningMore

As others have said, FAFSA is a necessity. It will determine his eligibility for loans, scholarships, grants, etc. For me, 24 was the perfect age to back to school...I was considered an independent adult (i.e., they didn't consider my parents' income for my eligibility) and was given grants that covered my tuition, books, and a little extra. One hint: If he doesn't plan to work as much when he is in school, he might be able to write a letter to his financial aid office telling them the situation and his expected income once he starts school. That is how I became eligible for so much more money in grants and loans.

Also, as others have said, grants/scholarships are obviously the best, then government loans, then government backed loans, and finally private loans (I don't like private loans through independent loan agencies). Good luck to him! Education is worth the cost, time and energy!

41

shock breakthrough with my wife

by stillajwexelder in

so my wife out of the blue says .

"i thought when we went under ban, everyone would still meet in peoples houses at the the book groups.

now they are doing away with that arrangement, what does it all mean.?

LearningMore

Ha, ha. Is it not a wonder that many of us grew up scared?!? I used to wonder who would take care of my cat when the great tribulation came! Sorry to hijack the thread....

27

Brother Guy Pierce gave concluding talk at D.C. in Los Angeles

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

the last talk at the convention was about serving loyally with jehovah's spirit-directed organization.

i had such a hard time sitting through it.

even last year i actually enjoyed it.

LearningMore

I must say that I wonder if the reason we all see disappointment with the r&f is because we are looking for it. Not to say that it isn't there, I just wonder if it is "more there" than it was before. I really haven't gone to any meetings since I faded and started looking at this site, so I can't say if I would see a difference. I just personally don't know of many who have left the organization or seem more downtrodden. With reference to Bonafide...I wonder if you are just coming at things from a different perspective than you used to. I wish there was some quantitative way to measure it, but I don't know if the stats are really out there...

25

Friend Says: "It's hard to find a mate after 30 as a witness"

by 4mylove in

this is the friend i've talked about before.

we had a text message war today.

you see, she turned 30 this years and her "area" is itching to be, well, you know.

LearningMore

I, too, have heard it is tough when you get "older." (Because, really, as a witness 19 year olds are marriage material.) I know of one woman who just got married at 40 something, and I can pretty much guarantee that she was a virgin. Nothing wrong with that, but I know not being in a relationship until 40 would not make me happy. I waited long enough as it was.

I know of another woman in her 40's who was married for several years, but now single. She, too, is interested in finding someone. One thing that makes it hard in the "truth" is, obviously, the no intimacy rule. So, people end up rushing into marriage. And, how do you really get to know someone with a chaperone there at all times. I just don't get it. Now, looking at it from the outside, I can't imagine entering into a relationship the way witnesses do.

30

So, you blew your chance to go to college because of JWs? Don't give up!

by cabasilas in

i got the jw "bug" as a teenager.

witnesses called at our door when i was nearly 11. my parents are deaf and i was the oldest hearing child, the default interpreter for them in that era before relay services and professional interpreters.

they had no interest in jws, but it started to spark an interest in me.

LearningMore

That is a great experience Cabasilas. I started a bit earlier than you, but I waited three years after graduating high school to enroll in my local community college (I graduated early from high school as most witnesses in my area did). I was there for about 5 years while my educational goals continued to expand from vocational to academic. I ended up at a university where my tuition and books were completely paid for because I made no money and was considered an independent adult. (Yay for California public universities and financial aid!)

Anyway, I ended up getting a graduate degree. And, while in debt up to my eyeballs, I am glad I pursued education. Of course, if I had it to do all over again, I would really look into more scholarships for grad school. But, of all debt to have, student debt is the best (at least for me...low interest, flexible payment plans, etc.).

I try to encourage people to not be intimidated with the process of going to college. It seems daunting at first, but especially if you enroll at a community college, it is really not too bad. Community colleges often court older students and returnees.

I never planned on going to college. As I tell people, I was actually actively discouraged from going to college. LOL. I never took the SATs, never took college prep classes in high school, never entertained the notion. Fortunately, I didn't get married young (I'm afraid that would have sealed my fate - educationally- for years), so once I labored through some crummy jobs, I realized higher education was a good choice for me. It is a huge pet peeve of mine that JWs aren't encouraged to pursue education. It can really open your mind, but, of course, that is what the society fears.

Good luck with everything!

29

Most JW's Really Hate Going to the Conventions/Assemblies. Some Admit It.

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

so the wife and i met up with an old friend.

the woman actually grew up around my .

wife, i knew her as a young adult.

LearningMore

As a pre-teen, the conventions were fun. I, too, liked the pastries and pudding cups. A few times I even volunteered to serve the food, which was quite fun actually. We also brought binoculars so we could watch people across the convention center. It was fun to spend an hour or so looking for people we knew all the way on the other side of the building. Also, going to dinner with friends, staying in a hotel, and playing in the pool was great.

However, as I got older, it became less fun. I don't know what exactly changed, but it seemed that the hotels were not as nice, the convention center was smaller so no need to use the binoculars, etc. Also, we didn't do many dinners with big groups of friends. So, everything just kind of got more boring. In fact, they were kind of depressing after a while....

Gloobster: I took notes so I could stay awake. There wasn't really anything new to write down, but it actually made the time pass by quicker.

42

for "born-ins"

by Mandette in

jw
friends

does anyone remember being a little kid and being forced to sit through those 2 hour meetings?

specifically being made to listen to graphic accounts of whatever country that was going through horrific persecution.

(or any other horrors you might remember).

LearningMore

Yeah. I've mentioned this before elsewhere. I was pretty obsessed with the Holocaust as a kid. I read a lot of books about it, and tried to imagine how I would handle it if I were in a concentration camp. SCARY. As B_Deserter said, they would tell you all these things, then tell you not to be afraid. Please! Of course, then you felt like you weren't faithful enough because you WERE afraid.