Hi, Billygoat,
Thanks for your kind comments! Actually, Mormons don't track hours. If anyone were to suggest it, there would be zero cooperation in that direction. Joseph Smith, when asked how he could govern so many people as had joined his "peculiar" religion, said, "I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves." Nobody's come up with a better way of monitoring our individual activities since. It's all up to the individual.
Actually, I came up with a tally of the hours myself years back when my firstborn son left to serve a full-time mission. I was so proud of him, as only a mother can be. You know, "Look what my little Johnny is doing now!" type of thing. Of course, my JW family members merely sniffed and with smug smiles told me, "Yes, but he only serves for TWO years while WE serve all our lives!"
To me their refusal to recognize the incredible sacrifice my son had chosen to make, giving up everything he knew and loved to serve others for two years of his life, was comparable to my having said, "Guess what! My little Johnny has been selected to perform as a featured soloist at Carnigie Hall!" and having the response be, "Yes, but he'll only perform ONCE while my Tommy plays his guitar at the Night Owl Tavern EVERY Saturday night!" Sheesh, all I wanted was for them to be happy for me, and for my son. Was that too much to ask?
Unable to come up with a proper response at the time (isn't that always the case?), I fussed and fumed until it occured to me to change my JW family's absurdly inequal comparison with one that might make sense to a JW...namely, hours. So I took the time to tally the hours an average missionary serves, considering that they get no time off, but are on duty, so to speak, six days a week, wake up till bedtime. Then backed off a few hours to allow for unforeseen complications. Unscientific at best, but as accurate as I could make it.
Of course, all my efforts were in vain, as I'd known they would be, as all that resulted was a lack of any contact with JW family for many months. But I've STILL never received a response when hours are compared to hours.
So it goes. I still go out of my way to congratulate my JW family members on every little accomplishment, honor, distinction, life step, etc., and still sting when it is not reciprocated. With all the hurt in the world, shouldn't good people go out of their way to make other people's lives a little brighter? Just a simple, "Wow, that's great! I'm so happy for you!" goes a mighty long way!
SUSAN