Dear K78, thanks for writing, it's nice to hear the process of thinking that people go thru from 'all in' to 'all out'....
When you said "staying home and being alone" gave you time to think, I really think that is happens to many, and is the beginning for many and that is why WT is constantly stressing meetings, study, service, etc. They want your brain to stay indoctrinated. It really is "brainwashing", and without someone to constantly remind you of your obligations, your beliefs, the brainwashing fades, right? I have heard of missionaries or people who go to 'foreign language' congregations who do not hear the 'rinse, wash, repeat' and it has the same effect on them.
Why did we go over and over and over the same subjects, the same phrases, the same everything that we knew back and forth? To keep us on the hamster wheel, our brains had no chance.
So glad that you made it out, and your husband too! Yay! Especially your children will not have to go thru the brain twists that we had to, they won't have to suffer social harm, they can enjoy 'just being kids.' They can play, sing, write, watch TV, and not feel 'guilty'.
JWfacts is great! I remember when we first "explored" the internet, and came to this apostate site. We already knew the WT was lying (we left upon discovering 607 was a lie, by the hand of their own WTs of 2011!) but still, even joining a site like this is scary at first. haha! Just a bunch of us from the past here. Just the same as you.
Congratulations! I think more and more people are going to 'come out'... kind of like the wall of Berlin. One day there, the next it was gone!
Thx again for tellilng your story!
cha ching!