Posts by happpyexjw

17

Update on my life since I left

by strawberry cake in

i used to post here a lot a few years ago.

this forum helped me out of the organisation with my husband and 3 boys.. we are now all more or less out and very happy.. me my husband and my youngest left almost instantly we realised the lie.

my middle son gave us a little grief at first and then left when he understood what were were saying.

happpyexjw

Hi Strawberrycake,

It's good to see that you have been able to move on with your life and that your kids are out as well. My children are all out as well, and when I read the stories of those whose families are divided my heart aches for them.

You brought up something that really hit home for me - the realization that I will die some day. Since I first started as a JW with the Paradise book as a little girl and stayed in for over 30 years, I had grown up believing I would never face death. Now that I am in my early 60s I often think of the wasted years and all the things I missed out on, so I can relate to how your youngest feels.

My kids are all doing well and are successful in their chosen fields of medicine and business. It is comforting to see them grabbing all they can from life and enjoying it to the fullest. Your youngest will be fine, it will just take a little time.

Blessings to all of you

17

any active or inactive jw from Massachusetts

by TheLoveDoctor in

jw
friends

any active or inactive jw from massachusetts.

happpyexjw

I was born and raised in Boston. Moved away in the late 1960s - been out since 1990

1

Does anyone know Don and Laurie Frager?

by happpyexjw in

i have been wondering about them.

i ran across something that said laurie died a few years ago in california.

she was the person who studied with my mother in boston.

happpyexjw

I have been wondering about them. I ran across something that said Laurie died a few years ago in California. She was the person who studied with my mother in Boston. I think they went into circuit work, as did Paul and Mary Katsianis and Paul and Carol Illingworth. Anyone know of them in recent years?

20

Snow in UK stops meetings!

by fokyc in

jw
friends

most congregations in this area had no meeting last thursday,.

they have now cancelled tomorrows meetings .

perhaps snow is worse than the internet!.

happpyexjw

Was in Birmingham, England a couple of years ago when they got about an inch of snow and it literally shut the place down. People just got out of their cars and left them on the street. It made is tough to clear the snow. Even the trains stopped running. I guess they really aren't used to it there and don't have a lot of equipment to handle it. When we returned to Colorado that week we drove home in heavy snow that eventually amounted to about 6 inches before it was over. It didn't cause any disruption at all. It makes a difference to have the right equipment and lots of experience with the white stuff. I feel bad for the UK, things must be really rough there right now.

24

Did You Feel Let Down By Jehovah & The "Brothers"?

by minimus in

jw
friends

did you find yourself disappointed in your life as a jehovah's witness?.

happpyexjw

I can relate to EmptyInside's comment. My experience with JWs began when I was about 9 years old and I finally got a divorce and left when I was 41. I found myself to be socially awkward in the real world. My associations had been so limited and my world view so narrow that i was ill-equipped to function in society. It took a while to develop the social skills I needed and I am a naturally out-going person. For someone who tends to be shy, it must be a nightmare to get out there. This is what life in a cult does to people and is the reason in my opinion why so many stay trapped. We have been taught to be so fearful of the world that it is just easier to stay in the org.

30

What do you do for canker sores?

by daniel-p in

because mine is hurting like a mofo here... it's at the back of my cheek, where my lower and upper jaw connect,and i can't close my teeth without chomping on it because its swollen out.

my lymph glands under my neck hurt to the touch, the entire side of my head down to my shoulders hurt.. i've tried peroxide mouthwash, salt mouthwash, orajel (which help for about 30 seconds), and aspirin placed on it (which helps for about ten minutes).

today, at work, i put a bunch of salt directly on it which just stung like the dickens for about 10 minutes and now i'm back to square one with the ongoing pain.

happpyexjw

I am passing on the information given to me by my doctor and my dentist. Their advice has helped me to be almost free of this misery. Of course, others may have a different experience.

30

What do you do for canker sores?

by daniel-p in

because mine is hurting like a mofo here... it's at the back of my cheek, where my lower and upper jaw connect,and i can't close my teeth without chomping on it because its swollen out.

my lymph glands under my neck hurt to the touch, the entire side of my head down to my shoulders hurt.. i've tried peroxide mouthwash, salt mouthwash, orajel (which help for about 30 seconds), and aspirin placed on it (which helps for about ten minutes).

today, at work, i put a bunch of salt directly on it which just stung like the dickens for about 10 minutes and now i'm back to square one with the ongoing pain.

happpyexjw

The sores are caused by one of the herpes viruses. I get them too and they are extremely painful and usually come in groups of three or four. Ask your doctor for a RX for triamcinolone paste, which does help with healing. You can also ask about one of the anti-viral medications. My dentist put me on a course of meds that I took for a couple of months and I didn't have any more sores for several years. Good luck with this. The good news is this is not a problem that will kill you. The bad news - this is a miserable problem that you are going to encounter from time to time. Interestingly, people who get canker sores don't get cold sores (the ones on and around the lips) - a silver lining, sort of.

8

We Celebrated Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary

by Yizuman in

tomorrow will be our 3rd anniversary that we got married.. yesterday, we celebrated early at our home.

we had a bbq cookout.

we ate chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, turkey burgers and all sorts of good stuff (excellent potato salad as well).. the family came and we had a blast.

happpyexjw

Happy third. I wish you many, many more. Hubby and I just came back from a trip to celebrate our 18th. Met him and married him after leaving WTS and a bad JW marriage. Proof there can be happiness after the WTS.

103

My life ... and how JWD came to be - Part 5

by Simon in

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 1. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 2. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 3. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 4. i swear, i thought it was only a couple of years at most since i wrote part 4 of "my life and how jwd came to be".

i re-read it after someone posted to it and brought it back on active topics and it was kind of prophetic in a way ... well, i had the 5 years part right if nothing else:.

it would be nice to visit the site (or whatever one is around then) in 5 years time to let people know how we're doing and find only a few of the same people still around.

happpyexjw

Simon, thank you for sharing your story with us. I only joined this board a few months ago, but have learned so much from reading others' stories. Sometimes I feel a little bit like an outsider because other members have known you and each other for such a long time, but the input from people who are at various stages of making their own choices in life is invaluable. I know what you mean about always being somewhat affected by our WTS experiences - I have been out since 1990-91 and I am still finding traces of JW thinking that need to be cleared out.

Bottom line Simon - Thank you for this forum. You have no doubt helped thousands of people make peace with themselves and get free from a dangerous, mind controlling organization. We are all grateful.

58

My JW parents met my wife, but would not see me...

by Confession in

so it was time for the 25 year reunion of tawas area high school's class of '84.

because i was class president, i've been responsible for throwing all the reunions we've held.

while i come to michigan on business a few times per year, i don't usually make it all the way up to the little, northeast, lake huron tourist town where they live.

happpyexjw

Confession, you and your wife are the epitomy of grace and kindness. It is so ironic when you think about it - you both have exhibited the Christian qualities that are constantly touted by the JWs and they just can't see that.

Bless you for handling such a difficult situation in such a wise and generous manner. Maybe you will end up reaching their hearts instead of the other way around!