Jan: It's like children getting excited about being trusted to do some " grown up " job by Mom and Dad .
That's a good analogy. It does seem different since I got outside of it. I think it works because of the attitude that the end is very close, and you have these opportunities to score some extra points with god as his kingdom approaches. Thus, even the smallest things become unusually meaningful, and you don't really think about how silly it is.
It is why I wonder how the changes will work out. Becoming more like mainstream Christian churches means the urgency of "the last days" will continue to be de-emphasized. At that point, the main difference will be that JWs don't celebrate holidays. Who will want to stay in for that?
Hmmm... I think I know what the next big change is going to be...