I think I may have donated $80 total for my entire life. My children, when we were still attending would get given money from ones in the congregation to put in the contribution box. We never have enough spare to share. We did share with circuit servants by way of buying them meals and groceries etc.
I quit the ministry School after the birth of my second child and was glad to no longer have the anxiety related to giving talks. Encouraged my children to get off the school too. No time for rehearsal when you have homework.
Hated field service. Always my entire life. Did a couple of school holidays auxillary pioneering but other than that would avoid it where I could. Loved going on others return visits and country witnessing where you drive from house to house. Nice morning out with the friends. In the last ten years I have only been a couple of times and never spoke to anyone. What a waste of time.
Answering up. If no one put their hand up during the study I would feel bad for the conductor. It's a reading comprehension exercise for goodness sake. So I would help him out and answer.
Attending the meeting. Growing up we never missed unless bed ridden. One didn't miss meetings. Even after surgery my mother took me out of hospital to attend the convention and I spent it on a bed in first aid! As a mother myself I was a bit softer and we would stay home if the kids were sick. We all stayed home if one was sick. I haven't been for over two years now.
Music and movies. I have always liked rock and slightly heavy music but always made sure of lyrics and never bought demonic looking albums. Lol. Never never watch a demonic movie or anything with witches or ghosts or immorality. 50 Shades? No way. Lord of the rings? No way. Funny enough I did read Lord of the rings as a teenager and felt like such a rebel.
50 Shades is still not my sort of movie but I loved the Lord of the Rings and all the X-Men movies. My teenager is a heavy metal fan so am getting to know a lot about bands from my time through him.
Never tried a smoke. Been drunk twice in my life and I say crap a lot. Lol. I have friends in the truth who consider crap a swear word and are shocked when they hear me say it.
Dating - well this one is interesting. I was a goody two shoes growing up and watched as all the other young jws would date at school and carry on for all to see. Then they leave school and become pioneers. Meanwhile I was asked out by "worldly" boys/men and say no because I can only date from my religion. One time I said yes. Wow! My pioneer friend told me off for wanting to date "dead flesh" and my parents made me ring him and cancel. I was 21. Incidentally my pioneer friend went on to marry "dead flesh". No regrets really though. I met my husband in my late 20s and we are two peas in a pod. We both come from the same upbringing and we think the same about pretty much everything.
We are on the same page now with leaving the cult and letting our children be who they are and choose their own paths.
Happy ending for me.