Hi all! Long time lurker, first time poster. :) I'm not sure if a post this long is allowed as a first post (or if this is even in the right section), but here it goes!
So while in high school, I became friends with a JW. Throughout high school we became fairly close, and while friends with her/being around her JW mom I ended up going to a Kingdom Hall meeting. Completely my own decision (now I'm doubting this, though) because I was just curious. She seemed happy that I went and her nor her mom ever pushed me into going to another meeting (although her mom would always get a word in of Watchtower talk whenever I was at her house). I guess it's also important to note that her mom converted when my friend was young--so while we've been friends, my friend has never been a preachy JW since she wasn't raised “in the truth,” but her mom certainly acts like she has.
Anyway, so throughout high school we were friends and while I was attending college (still living at home) we continued to be friends. After spending 2 years at the local college, I decided to transfer to a university an hour away. The summer before this happened, we met up a couple times and hung out. I had heard her mom during her preachy moments say her thoughts about education (it not being necessary, but she was allowing her daughter to do the bare minimum because in this world it's what is needed to "survive"), but my friend had never said anything negative about me transferring and things continued on like usual. Even the last time I saw her (also the last time I had seen her mom) and talked about me moving out at my parents house/attending said university, her mom acted like it was a reasonable choice. Sidenote: this friend commutes to college from her parent's home. Other (maybe unnecessary) side note: This friend's dad is a not a JW--when my friend's mom converted, he didn't, has never wanted to, and won't.
Anyway, I sent her a couple emails after I had left telling her how I was doing, asking her what was going on in her life, or even sent a link to a funny article and never heard ANYTHING. Sent her a some text messages, all went unanswered except for one (which she was very short about). I never ended up actually calling her because I figured that there was no reason for me to try so hard when she wasn't trying at all.
So I guess what I'm asking is if this is normal and what everyone's opinion on the reason that this happened is. Is she shunning me because I went away to college? Is it possible that she thinks college has changed me into a "worldly" person and doesn't want bad association? Or is there something else Watchtower control related going on here that I'm not seeing? It's been several years since she's stopped talking to me, but the only reason I'm now really starting to wonder what really happened is because I saw her mom and sister (also a JW) at the grocery store the other day and her sister just looked at me, got her mom's attention and started talking to her, then turned away quickly.
Advice? At the end of the day, I guess I'm happy that all of these shenanigans with my JW friend have led me here, because it led me to be a Psychology major in college, which I loved.
