I remember the assemblies at the Cicero race tracks. They were at Hawthorne and a couple across the way at Sportsmen's race track. Everybody had a mad dash to get seats in the air conditioned "Gold Cup room." Attendants, Elders and MS would get in early and save seats for their entourage before the doors were opened. "Looking out for the interest of others before themselves." Right. It was interesting to watch the horses work out before the assembly. The smell of manure and the hot sun beating down on you was expected if you were resigned to sitting in the outdoor sections. Later, it was moved to Comiskey (US Cellular Field) where everyone was outside. We endured the heat with the plethora of umbrellas clamped to arm rests and downpours of rain that ran down the steps and soaked everything that was stowed under your seats. Miserable. It rained almost all day. One assembly day, we were so soaked that we went to the car in the parking lot to dry off and listen to the assembly on the radio. With the heat on, we all fell asleep in no time and left at lunch time....and we felt so guilty. After the ballpark, we had to truck it out to Rockford at what is now known as the BMO Harris Center. After several years, it was moved to NIU Convocation Center. Now, I am told that it is at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. Never been there since it was after I faded. We would have driven anywhere that they told us to go. Definitely, the dramas were our lifeline for breaking up the monotony. It was the only time that almost everyone was in their seat or even paying attention.
exjwlemming
JoinedPosts by exjwlemming
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Assembly Dramas:They were so bad.... but.... you waited for them to break away from the monotony!
by RULES & REGULATIONS in.
you do remember the four day assemblies... sitting outdoors being fried in the sweltering heat,getting heat stroke in the middle of july in an outdoor baseball stadium.sitting outdoors from 9:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. was so much fun while you wore a suit,long sleeve shirt and a tie while your brain fried.
mom's who had children to take care of,lug strollers,feed all the kids,take them for bathroom breaks and try to not faint from the heat.. the sound and audio was always breaking and barely audible from the wind,airplanes flying over and (if you attended the cicero,illinois circuit )you would smell horse manure from the horse stables next door.. you know that you are a jehovah's witness.... when the only excitement waiting for the drama... where brothers and sisters dress up in ancient cloths,fake beards,fake rocks and fake soldier uniforms and wave their hands incessantly to pretend that they are acting out a drama.the excitement was unbearable!.
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My Introduction - An ex-elder's story of waking up later in life.
by doubtfull1799 inbackground:.
my parents got the “truth” while i was in primary school.
i was baptised at 14. i loved school and was extremely studious.
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exjwlemming
I would be thrilled to read your manifesto. Hope you post it. It would encourage many more lurking on this forum.
Thanks for your post.
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Picking up the pieces
by longgone injust needing a listening ear, so in advance thanks for being here, no one other than ex-jw's could understand.
they may try, but i think only a person who lived through it could know what's its really like.. i wish i could be supporting others here but i'm so broken myself i can't seem to do that yet.
i hope that will come in time though.. for now, i'm trying to undo the damage done to my family by the wts.
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exjwlemming
Don't beat yourself up. Everyone that first arrived at this forum was broken. Some were broken more than others, but everyone was damaged goods by this cult. The healed long-timers are hear to help the newly arrived patrons here. We all have a journey to healing and put our past behind us. Everyone moves at a different pace. Keep your head and chin up. Persevere. I look forward to the day that you are fully healed to help out the next generation that finds this forum. Take care longgone
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February 13, 2017 BOE Re: Memorial and Special Talk
by wifibandit infebruary 13, 2017 to all bodies of elders re: memorial and special talk.
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exjwlemming
"inactive ones"= submariners. They only surface once a year for the memorial talk...like a submarine. Maybe twice a year if they attend the "special" talk too.
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Jalessa Castillo, a Jehovah Witness Pioneer, who joined The Orlando Times Team, maintains a 3.75 Grade Point Average at Valencia College.
by no password inhttp://www.orlando-times.com/the_journey_of_jalessa_526.html.
the orlando times.
home.
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exjwlemming
Maybe she will be asked to help on JW.org and the monthly televangelist JW propaganda channel? Nope, sorry i forgot.......she has a vagina and not a penis. No can do, Jalessa. We have a recent need for laundry and housekeeping help though. I hate the JW misogyny.
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New light in this weeks WT?
by Indian Larry inanybody have any ideas where they are going with the "new light" they have been pushing last week and this week?
for instance in this weeks study article one section reads:.
in years gone by, we believed that jehovah became displeased with his people because they did not have a zealous share in the preaching work during world war i. we concluded that for this reason, jehovah allowed babylon the great to take them captive for a short time.
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exjwlemming
JW Alternative facts.
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Smelly WATCHTOWERS
by Zoos inin 1967 i had the misfortune of being born with a watchtower stuck in my ass.
it took 45 years for me to realize, "hey!
there's a watchtower stuck in my ass!
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exjwlemming
In the mid 80's, my mother was being indoctrinated. I wasn't sure what to make of this group of people. I decided to do some research at my high school library and the public library. There was not much of anything that exposed the real truth of this organization. Encylopedias gave a brief history, but nothing of substance. No books from ex-members or the real story. Likewise, I started drinking the kool aid for the following 25 years. The internet has proven to be such a resource to many that ultimately avoid this cult. The web has saved many people and families of spiritual desolation and ultimate heartbreak in throwing their lives away to some man made, self appointed religious organiazation and God's fictitious publishing clearing house.
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You wake up one morning and see
by A Believer inthe un has banned religion.
what are you're thoughts?.
also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.
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exjwlemming
The UN bans religion? Right! Try taking Bibles away from the ultra-conservative Christians, the Torah from the Jews, and the Koran from the Muslims. Many of these groups are fanatics when they can freely practice their beliefs. They would never allow such a thing. "A Believer" has fully bought into the JW propaganda that had fooled so many of us for so long. It's such a shallow belief that doesn't acknowledge the big picture. It's to be expected from a group of people that just parrot the nonsense that radiates from the GB, uneducated men who might barely qualify to be the town dog catcher...much less God's spokemen on earth today.....yeah...yeah...we all know that Jesus' disciples were ordinary, unlettered men from humble walks of life. It's laughable to compare Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John to Morris, Lett, Splane, Herd, Losch, and the other twits.
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Girls are unpredictable, materialist, and use us, men, as a toy - Part 2
by will-be-apostate inwell here am i, a couple of years passed since my original post (link here), somewhat less mysoginistic, more open to relationships, heartbroken again.
this is an official "fuck my life" thread.. being chased by the elders makes one arrive at the conclusion that there is nothing better than not being chased by the elders.
i had a pre-jc meeting a week ago.
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exjwlemming
Did I miss something? When did an EX-JW support website turn into one night stand bragging session? This should be sent to Ann Landers or Ask Abby....maybe Dr. Drew. The only JW mention is a pre-JC meeting and that was over with by the 4th sentence. The JC meeting had no bearing on the other 98% of the post and was irrevelent to the message in the post. Take you romantic escapades elsewhere. Try Reddit.
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If this system goes on.
by karter ini heard my hard out jw sister say that for the 1st time in many years and i'm hearing more and more jw's saying that.
years ago when i was in they talked about the new system coming any minute..
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exjwlemming
I've heard JWs comment, "even if the new system doesn't come, this is the best way to live my life." LOL