.
i was just a little kid when the 1975 thing came about, didn't pay much attention to it, after it was over, my parents told me it was just some people being over anxious, and being about 8 at the time i believed it, now when you research you find some amazing articles.
what do you remember being told about 1975 as the year got closer ?
I remember being a little kid hearing them talk about "some of us will be put into prison" and how we'd have to hide out and protect each other once they turned on us. I was scared sh*tless! They were all paranoid for a good while there, it made a huge impact on everyone and to pretend it was just a "few" is a total lie.
Anne
a thread i posted to a week or so back created some interesting comments.
there is something bothering me that perhaps some here may have experienced and can help with.. as outlined in an earlier post, i was a jw, married, had children, the whole thing fell apart, i eventually left, went into exile, faded and gained contact with my children.
(concise version of history).
I remember as we were "fading" that one of my daughter's friends told her that "it's too bad your dad is going to die at Armageddon" and Chloe was so mad! She said that she was so glad we were leaving the "troof" and I felt ashamed because earlier in our marriage I used to think "if he doesn't come around to the truth he won't make it" and it used to make me depressed. Imagine a child dealing with the fact that they love dad, but he's not loving Jehovah so he won't be in the future new world with you. It would make them a little more distant if they really believe, but incredibly sad. I hope you get to teach them and help them see that it's all false and give them that freedom from the fear and guilt that religion instills.
Anne
will the pain and memories ever go away??
?
I think the whole experience gives me a better understanding of others and I'm bolder about living my life. Freedom is sweeter for those who have experienced being caged. Nobody has a perfect life, that's a myth. Learn from the past and make the most of the present/future. What else can you do?
Anne
well i guess i should give you my story as of now.
i have been a jw now for about 6 years and have been the model witness.
about a year ago i started reading my bible and writing down verses that i didn?t understand.
Questions like the ones your posing to other witnesses will draw attention to you as a potential troublemaker. Don't let it discourage you, you aren't showing lack of faith, you're showing a thinking mind and making sure of all things, just like those praised in the Bible for "checking the scriptures" against what the apostles were telling them. It's important to build your faith on fact, so don't let anyone else tell you not to read God's Word the Bible Daily! 
Anne
dunno how many of you are hard core lord of the rings fans, but i am so looking forward to seeing this movie.
personally i can't wait to see the paths of the dead.
any particular part you are especially impatient to see on the big screen?.
although i know i'm not the worst writer in the world i feel i could improve tremendously.
anyone know of a good, simple, "only the facts ma'am" book on how to improve one's grammer and style?
any suggestions from the peanut gallery on things you notice which are grammatically incorrect in my growing legion of posts?
This is a great resource. The Elements of Style......check it out.
just waiting for the final "decree absolute" to come through in the next 3 weeks or so.. but man why is it so hard, the final break.
i really need this to be over so i can finally get on with the rest of my life.. .
cas..feeling a little sorry for himself today.. feel free to offer any support or advice.
I just went through it myself Caspian and it gets easier, but you have to go through the process, no way around it. You're grieving and grieving takes time. Take good care of yourself, get to the health club, go out for coffee, take a fun class, enjoy each day and try to move on. It's been about 7 months since the final end and it does get easier.
hugs,
Anne
when i was a kid, we did halloween every year.
no big deal, just costumes and trick or treating, but that was the 70's.
when i was 11 we stopped celebrating everything, and several years ago i left the jw's.
I love Halloween and right before I disassociated I had written a fun article for the newspaper about decorating Jack-O-Lanterns, costume ideas, etc. It was when I realized I was definitely leaving the JW's. I hadn't attended meetings much the previous 6 months, just enough to keep them from bugging me all the time. During my hour and a half "discussion" with the elders, when they didn't know what else to say, they pulled out the newspaper and said "Why, of all holidays, would you promote this one, the most wicked, evil and satanic of all holidays?" I couldn't help myself, I laughed and said "oh, I was worried you saw my Christmas one". Ooooooooh, that's when I realized they might be pushing to disfellowship me on that article so I quickly asked if I could have a piece of paper. I wrote out my disassociation letter right then and there. Yeah, it was following their silly rules, but it felt damn good!
BOO!
idle thought for the moment.
i consider myself pagan - mostly because of the earth-friendly orientation of the 'religion'.
i tend to feel some forces guide us, but not in a christian way - to no real purpose or divine goal.
You know, a good cure for those feelings is to watch a movie based on a real life person who ,by their own determination and "power" make things happen for good. I think prayer was really just a form of meditation at times, but I did feel ashamed if I fell asleep while saying mine, hehe. I am more often amazed at what simple humans can accomplish when they are up against incredible odds. No god or spells used, just their own spirit and energy and determination. Whatever potions or prayers or incantations we think we need, it's all just to help us overcome our fears and give us the strength to go on. I believe that we are the ones who make things happen and if there is a god, he created us that way. I'm agnostic, by the way.
Anne
as i was cruising the internet one fine day...i happened upon a local radio station website which contained pictures from a local charity event.
low and behold...to my utter amazement...many of the pictures were of people i knew in my past life as a jw...people who still are active jw's and were always considered among the "spiritual" and "good" jw's.
so my fine friends...i took two pictures and would like you to tell me who you would say were the jw's and who were the "worldlings"???