Posts by av8orntexas

51

Embarassed at school for being a Witness - Did this happen to you?

by Witness 007 in

when they played the national anthem everyone stood up...except afew of us witness kids who stood out like a saw thumb....a brother two rows ahead of me had a teacher physically drag him to his feet as he struggled to explain himself...i would sweat like a pig as others pointed and laught and told me off...from then on i would hide in the toilet till i heard the anthem finish then come out.. then theirs birthday holidays, sex education, religious studies which i wanted to do since i would be a star but i was banned by my family.. do you have an embarassing hide like a rat in the toilet moment..

av8orntexas

My Mom started studying when I was in Middlle School, and at that point I was heavily into football. I somehow managed to weasle may way into playing all through high school, until one sister who played in the band, opened her mouth in service one day about me playing. I did find it interesting that no one said anything about her, as I felt it was bad association. In that local area of Texas any school function or group was bad association. Tired as I was, I'd keep my fat mouth shut about being tired on Tuesady and Thursday nights after Practice. Saturdays morning after ganmes were a pain. And yes, I i'd salute the flag before the game as the coaches and staff would be wonering what the hell your problem was, all the while I was scared to death the friends would be at the game and spot me.

Well when the brothers got a whiff of my bad associations they quickly called my mom and filled her head with how it would be bad it would be for me to continue on with these boys who had nothing in common with me, yada yada yada.....Well she told me come straight home after school, tell the coach goodbye, and that was the beginning of the end. I wasn't teased, as I didn't get baptized until the second half of my senior year, but my coach thought I was psissing away a great chance at a possible schorlaship. My friends were pretty cool,but a few did start to call me church boy, and laugh at the fact that I "found Jesus" . I did develop a bad habit of accidently calling some of my teachers 'brother or sister' which would open up an avalanche of questions from ther kids, spare me,lol

School was just fine until my senior year

29

Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Truly Happy?

by StAnn in

i've been wondering about this a lot lately.

when i was a jw, i was always miserable because i was so busy trying to keep up with everyone else, i.e., field service hours, dressing appropriately, having the right attitude, feeling guilty about desiring things not approved by the wts, such as an education.

my own experience as a jw was so filled with unhappiness that it never occurred to me that anybody in the wts could actually be happy and have a joyful life.

av8orntexas

I thought I was......No car, no money,but I was knocking down doors 100 hrs a month, and I answered at all the meetings, and I made sure to as wholesome as possible,and toiled and toiled and toiled. But I've started to realize I was going nowhere.

There was more pressure to aspire.....to a title, MS, Elder, Gilead, Bethel.

I can say I know many young ones probably weren't. I'm sure more than a few felt they HAD too,or it was hit the bricks kid. I can't see putting your child out for that.

4

New Here...kinda....

by av8orntexas in

i joined this site back in 2002....but haven't been on in about that long.

i'm a single guy, 30,tall 6'2" single never married, no kids, great job and no "issuses" to speak of,but you'd never know from the rejection i've gotten from sister after sister.

my history....baptized, 97, pioneered 2 years.

av8orntexas

Hey everyone, thanks for the replys and welcome. I still trying to navigate the site. I don't have internet access at home !! But as I visit more often I l think I'll learn how to get around. It's taken me about to days to find the threads I posted,lol.

11

So what did you give up ?

by av8orntexas in

jw
friends

that because i joined in 2002 , all the while, see-sawing back and forth between staying and going.

right now, i'm just about out the doorbut i hnag on because of my mother.

she lives in another state,but she is all the family i have, as i am an only child.

av8orntexas

Thanks to you all for replying and sharing your situation with me. I apologize It has taken me so long to reply, as I don't have internet access at home. Finding this site has really opened my eyes. Things I have thought of,yet would never say.......Most of all, knowing that are people who can relate is a big thing. Talking this out on hear has allowed me to vent, without having to explain the JW's and how it all "works" is a big plus. I look forward to many more post with you all.

13

Did being a JW lady give you low self esteem because of dating?

by TreadClimberMaster in

i remember the years that i was a witness and dating was so stressful!

i really never dated, because i truly believed that dating was reserved for marriage purposes only.

i used to think i could never attain or hope to attain to the level of perfection that certain "brothers" wanted.

av8orntexas

Wow, this is an interesting point of view. I came in right at the end of high school, and my feeling as a guy was that the women were judgemental, and sometimes downright stuck on themselves ( not all,just a few ) ,My read is if you weren't on the fast track to Bethel,MS, or Elder you were destined to be single for a long time....as I am now.

I had a brother tell me like 8 months ago, "I know several sisters I could introduce you to, that I've met at some quickbuilds......but they wouldn't touch you." QOUTE. WTF ?

My meeting attendance is down to nil now,but at the time,it was good, but I wasn't "reaching out" for any particualr goals. It is this attitude that I hated as a guy. I was automatically not a "good guy" to be involved with based on people's perception. Or Spriritually Weak was the popular diagnosis.

I hope put this into correct words. I'm basically saying, I never felt a sister owed me anything or I should 'expect' her to act one way or another,but I felt the way may of you did,only from a guys perspective, and from my dealings.

Dating as a jw is just plain frustrating to say the least.

11

So what did you give up ?

by av8orntexas in

jw
friends

that because i joined in 2002 , all the while, see-sawing back and forth between staying and going.

right now, i'm just about out the doorbut i hnag on because of my mother.

she lives in another state,but she is all the family i have, as i am an only child.

av8orntexas

Hello everyone. Some MAY know me, some may not. That because I joined in 2002 , all the while, see-sawing back and forth between staying and going. Right now, I'm just about out the doorbut I hnag on because of my mother. She lives in another state,but She is all the family I have, as I am an only child. While I never think she would stop speaking to me, the thought that it can happen isn't all that pleasant.

Now 12 years after taking the dip, I am having SERIOUS buyers regret. Constant what if's, seeing people my age Light years ahead of me in places, I should have been, whereas, I am just now starting to get my stuff together. I have an Associates, but felt pioneering would BETTER prepare me for raising a family ( if I ever have one at this point ), $4/gal gas, a insane tanking economy, and a shaky job market which I have managed to hang onto with the same company for the last 7years.

Is anyone else feeling they are behind their peers ? Or that they've let a good portion of their life get away from them. ? Anyone else have goals or realize their goals ( college, a sure career,etc ) only to turn it down to pursure bethel,pioneering,etc ?

19

Are Pioneers NOW wasting their time?

by Fisherman in

could pioneers better spend their time instead of putting in hours?

av8orntexas

Besides the fact that the work itself is a huge waste of time, they dawdle. I have stood out on calls rather than work alone, wasting a good 5 minutes each. We have had more errands, "forgotten" medication and supplies, and trips to A-Plus or Seven-11 (the witlesses in my former congregation were too poor to regularly frequent Starbucks, plus those stores were closer).

I have also seen much time wasted warming up. People would go out and do a few houses in temperatures around 0 C/32 F, and then get in the car to warm up. I always went along with it, since I didn't want to see the work finished and did not look forward to answering a door where someone did come.

I also liked those time wasters where someone passed a street they were looking for. I knew where it was, and could tell when they were about to pass it by. So I kept my big mouth shut, and let them waste time hunting for it. Ditto a house when I saw the number, and no one else did. I would let them waste the time searching, and they would wonder why I didn't speak up. I found it especially funny when the call was not home, after all that.

WTWizard, LMAO

The whole part of people missing the street they were looking for,hit the nail on the head. I'm sitting in a van with an elder who is a freaking Aerospace Engineer,but he suddenly can't read a territory card ? I'd sit in that back row and pretend I was looking at my mags I was going to offer.

"What ??? See the street ? My bad bro...I was reading this article, I missed it too. "

Man that brings back memories.

19

Are Pioneers NOW wasting their time?

by Fisherman in

could pioneers better spend their time instead of putting in hours?

av8orntexas

shamus100, thats one reason I'm here. I Reg Pioneered right out of High School, and went to college,but much later, and at 31, I feel like I'm just catching up to people at my age who have their stuff together. It really ticks me off.

I remember in 1998 like 3 brothers from my hall went to Bethel ( we were all pioneers ) and everyone kept asking why I didn't put in my application, well all through served one year, found that sister who was looking for a Bethelite and hit the bricks. I'd have been a real dummy if I'd had gone. Nothing against anyone who went or anything but I had draw my line there.

I would say yes, pioneers are wasting their time. It seems to be a bigger status symbol than ever, at least the way some people I know act. It ws clear to me after pioneer school, that it wasn't going to be a 10 plus year deal. I realized I need to go to school and make a living or being living with my mom at 40 hoping some sister would understand I was a very 'spritual' and upright brother Yeeeeeeaaah.

It's symbol. Some of the nicest people are just joe publishers,but people judge them because they were smart enough not to kill themselves 100hrs a month in 100+ degree weather in Texas.

23

Why does guilt often remain so long with those who've left the JWs?

by And He Ran in

i would be interested in getting people's input in why so many jws - including me from time to time, though less so now - seem to be burdened by guilt after they've left, even after they've successfully faded and aren't being hassled by family or elders.

is it a residual leftover of the indoctrination over the years?

i welcome your comments.

av8orntexas

So about those typo's

23

Why does guilt often remain so long with those who've left the JWs?

by And He Ran in

i would be interested in getting people's input in why so many jws - including me from time to time, though less so now - seem to be burdened by guilt after they've left, even after they've successfully faded and aren't being hassled by family or elders.

is it a residual leftover of the indoctrination over the years?

i welcome your comments.

av8orntexas

Hello everyone. I'm new...well somewhat new. I joined SIX YEARS ago and I've see-sawed now back and forth. I have been to an convention since 2002 !!!! I'm neither DF'd of reporved. Yet, I'm starting to feel many who attend subscribe to a "do as I teach,not as I do " philosophy. In the last year I've started to feel as if I've wasted the last 12 years of my life. My mother lives in another state and thinks I still regularly attend. I hang on,going once every 3-4 months or so,I've told people I was attending an english hall because my work schedule, as I am in a spanish hall. Right now In limbo. I've lurked here off an on over the years and lately, I think I'm becoming increasingly aware that the JW's may not be it for me,but.........I keep hnaging on, a bit nervous of who I'll have if I leave ? Does this make sense to anyone ?

Frustrated and Lonely.