Posts by Julia Orwell

9

I believe I'm the record holder for travel distance to a convention

by joe134cd in

well it was announced the other night that the new convention venue will be about a twenty hour drive away.

in that 20 hours will include at least 3 hour boat ride.

i'm guessing the cost of the boat ride + the cost of fuel would probably be about $us800 - $us 900. that wouldn't include the loss of wages for the 4 days just to get there and return.

Julia Orwell

Hang on, where is this convention? In upstate Myanmar?

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Hey I like your wry style. I reckon this JWN should have a writers' corner for people like us.

The next installment should come within the next few days. Today is my lap top free day.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Thanks guys!

I don't plan to market or sell this work, just write it for the intrinsic joy of writing. My favourite authors are George Orwell and Alexander Solzhenitsyn .

40

OMG I'm so happy!!!!

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

yup, the apostate is happy.

i shouldn't be, right, because my life is empty without "jehovah" and the organisation.. but i just got a job at one of the best theme parks in the world, which is so what i want to do, and it's the first permanent job i've had since i lost my government job in 2012!.

the job pays minimum wage but i don't care because working in tourism and entertainment is what i want to do!

Julia Orwell

Thanks. I'll still do the odd spot of teaching for the occasional cash injection.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

I can't reveal the story! I can tell you Adam has the perfect thing to cheer him up though!

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Brother Wanis is a real person. He's an absolute Nazi elder who gave me some real grief. He's like if you got the worst trait of every elder ever and rolled them into one person.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Now I really have to get up because my butt is going numb. I'll post more as I write it, probably tomorrow.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Ok this is all I have for now...

Part Three

“Adam, what I’m saying is, since your mother died, I’m not sure the end is coming at all.”

“Dad!” Adam boomed. Alfred had always been a pillar of faith, and now he was coming out with this!

“Dad, we all have doubts! That’s why you need to ‘always have plenty of work to do in the Lord.’ Maybe just auxiliary pioneer if you can’t handle the 70 hours. The Slave is so loving to provide these options for Jehovah’s people. I can show you how to access the new Watchtower Online Library. Here, let me call the elders and arrange a shepherding call. They can encourage you, maybe take you on some Bible studies…”

Yes, Adam was a good boy. He knew where to go for all the answers. Somehow though, the answers didn’t seem to help Alfred anymore. The meetings seemed empty, and all these young elders lacked the life experience needed to give him any real comfort.

“I’m doing all that, son, but your mother’s death got me thinking. I read through some of those old bound volumes over on that shelf, and realised just how much the Truth has changed. But one thing hasn’t, and that’s that the end will be here any moment. I just don’t see it happening anymore. It’s been 100 years since the last days began and that generation has passed away. You don’t remember 1975 or the 80’s, but I remember them clearly.”

“Dad, where are you getting this from? What have you been reading?”

“Reading?” Alfred was astonished. “Just the Watchtower. See them on the shelf there?”

“But what else have you been reading, Dad, where are you getting this from?”

“Getting what?”

“This APOSTATE talk!” Alfred rarely saw Adam angry, but now he was tensing up like an offended cat.

“Nowhere…call those elders for a shepherding call,” he muttered. Alfred was somewhat startled by Adam’s strong reaction to his doubts, but apostasy had been a problem for the Organisation of late. It just showed Adam cared. But could Satan be using Barbara’s death to get a hold of his mind? He needed to talk to those elders. He certainly didn’t want to experience a shipwreck of faith, like even some anointed Christians in the first century did.

Adam called Brother Wanis, an elder who had been his friend for years, and organised a shepherding visit for his father. Then, as he had to get back to his circuit work the next day, he left his father with some scriptures and headed home.

Somewhat perplexed by what had just passed between them, Alfred closed the Bible Adam had handed him. The house seemed so cold, as though Adam’s departure had drained it of life. He hauled himself out of his easy-chair and walked to his bookshelf. There was a photo of Barbara from the last congregation picnic she’d been well enough to attend. Her blue opal set the picture alight, and Alfred wondered what had become of it. He had hoped to receive an acknowledgement of her donation, but so far had received nothing from the Branch Office.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Dad is not sure himself, which is why he is tentatively confiding in Adam. Adam is a good company man though, with all the prepared answers and revulsion for anything critical.

66

Jehovah's Witness Tragedy - a series of installments.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm working on a short story/novella about a jw family.

it's called the opal ring.

i will be posting it in installments, and would like some feedback on it.

Julia Orwell

Yes Village Girl, it is purely for an ex JW audience. That is why it is written in JW jargon. It would highlight to a JW or ex JW reader the absurdidty and pointlessness of their lives. A non JW reader would have trouble understanding it, but it's not written for them.

I've left the story quite pared back, so the reader may use his/her imagination and understanding of JW culture to fill in the gaps. Reading is 50% words on the page and 50% what the reader brings.

I've not gone into a lot of detail about the disease because that is not the point of the story. What you read up top was just the orientation. I don't go into detail about her, because as a short story (probably end up around 4000 words) it needs to move quickly.