I know my Father never thought him and my Mom were gonna get past the 1970s, lol. They came into the "truth" in 1973, and almost never had me, as they thought the big "A" was right around the corner. Alas, they did have me, as i was born in 1975.
So, then over the years, each milestone in life was thought that it was never going to arrive. First, i was never going to go to school in this system, but Kindergarten came and went, in 1980. Then Middle school, then driving, then graduating high school. Before you realize it, EVERYTHING has passed by.
I am happy to say that my parents honestly never really placed important life decisions on hold, and DID live as though the system maybe would last longer than they at first anticipated. My Father had a job with a pension, and has a very comfortable retirement. They had children, me and my sister. They own their home, and are comfortable.
Now in the twilight of their years, their eyes are fully open. They are not deluded anymore, and realize that there is a distinct possibility that they WERE lied to all these years, by a captive organization. I give them credit too, that at the final decade of their life they are strong enough to except that maybe it all was bullshit. My Father is smart enough to see that this is NOT the same organization he first joined. That the GB are full of shit. He even says that when HE was baptized the questions you had to answer were different than later, and the emphasis was not of the GB being Gods channel, so he says he did NOT dedicate his life to THEM, so he doesnt need to listen to THEM.
After awhile, when you keep seeing the goal post moved further away, and the lies are fully revealed, and everything you were told was going to happen, DIDNT, then you either wake up, like my parents did, or you close off your mind to the reality of things, and die living a complete and utter LIE. Sadly, most older JWs are experiencing the latter.