breal

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Posts by breal

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  46

  You're Going To Get A Whippin' !!!

  by Perry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those who were raised/born in the truth: .

  1. were you ever beaten as a child?

  and, i mean where the parent really crossed the line, not just spanking.

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  breal

  1. Beaten no - but disciplined with extremely unnecessary force either with hand, belt, or other object - yes. I still have a scar the welts a brutal spanking left. If someone did something wrong at my dad's and no one would fess up, he would line us kid up (except of course for his precious first born) and rotation spank us until someone admitted to it. (most of the time admitting to it just to stop the spanking). My mother had a fierce temper and seemed to lose touch with reality when disciplining.

  2. Stopped when I moved out.

  3. Even if they were not JW's they still would have had temper and self control issues.
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  12

  Devil's Playground

  by kyria in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone seen the documentary "devil's playground"?

  i highly recommend it.

  it's about the amish custom of rumspringa, in which children are allowed total freedom for one year when they turn 16. unprepared for the real world, they have a year of debauchery and end up in all kinds of trouble (anybody remember that old jw parable about pulling a rubber band so tightly that when you finally let go it flies across the room?

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  breal

  Oprah had the lady that made the documentary on her show a while back I believe. Only saw part of it but watching it made me think of the JW's as well. Especially since from what I gathered the kids are made to choose between the "world" and there families?? Perhaps this was not the impression left if one watched the whole documentary?
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  53

  To those who were DFd

  by stillajwexelder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  those of you on this board who were given the big d -- how did you actually feel at the moment the chairman of the jc that dfd you said those words -- angry -upset -toatl relief -- yipee?

  again sorry if there has been a post on this subject before --but an update for us newer ones never does any harm

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  breal

  They never told me they were DF'ing me. Said they would talk with me again soon. Apparantly my DFing was announced shortly thereafter...

  I was sad because of the "shunning by family & friends". I was embarrased cuz I would have prefered to DA myself and my DF'ing was looked at as inevitable by some family members who were very self righteous and never very supportive while I was in the religion anway.

  At the same time there was a huge sense of relief. No longer would it be inferred or would I feel that I am "not good enough". I could instead focus on my friendships that were healthy and positive. Plus it was the first time I could really be me - cuz before I had spent so much time trying to make other people happy and impress them...and for the first time it was all about me.

  Plus a little scared...cuz I was still in High School
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  33

  First Christmas

  by yxl1 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when we first left the dubs, we celebrated x-mas pretty much straight away, but had no decorations or tree, and only gave gifts to each other.

  for some reason it just seemed wrong to put up decorations and we continued to celebrate this way for about 5 years.

  we decided to put up decorations when it was my daughters 1st x-mas, and have never looked back.

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  breal

  Christmas is one of my favourite holidays. The first year out I celebrated with a non-JW family & became hooked. Around December 1st our house now looks like the holiday threw up in it and our Christmas tree stays up forever. One year I had my tree until mid February and it became a fire hazard. Christmas decorations everywhere. Love the lights, trees & traditions. Went to the singing christmas tree a few times but found it too religious. We go each year to one of the special gardens or the zoo where they have sleigh rides, trains, and major christmas light displays...Drink hot chocolate and take a new friend each year.

  Now we have a tradition to have a turkey dinner either Christmas eve or Boxing day each year to invite all the other friends who don't have family in the city to spend the holidays as a big group. Lots of fun!
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  12

  Guide when calling consumer response numbers

  by berylblue in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  because of being told i need to be a robot at work, and not so "pro-consumer", not so focused on the caller, not so emotionally invovled...i post the following in case you ever need to call a consumer resonse line.

  if you have a heart, here are some guidelines:.

  don't make obscene calls.

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  breal

  OMG! I must say that after a rather horrible day at work you made me LOL!!

  Thanx! That was halarious! Great post!
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  33

  Young JW's, What would it take for you to come back?

  by Spudinator in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this question is for the "younger" jw's, and ex-jw's that post here, say in their teens to mid-twenties.

  please consider the main question, and try to answer the a, b, and c segments if applicable.. what would it take for you to come back into the jw fold?.

  a. organizational changes?.

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  breal

  A. Organizational changes?
  B. Personal changes?
  C. Family Changes?

  A. Any organizational changes would be too little and too late for the pain they have already caused so many. They can't change the past. I find these "new lights" or "new understandings" to be a cowardly way of stating that they screwed up or were wrong. Even if they did change the things that little old me thinks are "wrong" - the damage is done as far as I am concerned.

  B. Hard to think of giving up the life I love, my real true friends and adopted family to consider going back to a bunch of hypocritical, self righteous, unloving and messed up people/organization....oh and like everyone is just gonna forget these years that I have been DF'd....like they still won't treat me like crap or label me or "mark" me....

  C. Can't answer this one cuz family was not the reason I left.

  So I will go with D.

  What is your answer?

  Cheers,

  BReal
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  431

  Things Learned Along the Way

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have collected sayings, homilies, whatever along the way that crystallize something bigger i learned.

  i will post a few every day.

  if you have one, please share it.. if you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.. to belittle is to be little.. somewhere, i got the idea if i just took care of others, i would be taken care of.. blondie

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  breal

  "I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who - is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might have-been has never been, but a has was once an are."

  - Milton Berle
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  51

  What Do You Do Besides JWD?

  by pettygrudger in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with so many new ones, and not so new ones, its kinda hard to get to know people.

  i'm just wondering, what do you like to do besides post on the jwd discussion board?.

  me, during the spring - fall months like my yard & gardening.

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  breal

  Spend lots of time on renovating our home. Trail riding, reading, camping, golfing. Hockey season is upon us again & I love hockey!

  The rest of the time is spent socializing with friends or working.
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  52

  new canadian posters

  by orbison11 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  since we have all these new canadian posters, just wondering which part of canada you are from.

  orbi

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  breal

  British Columbia
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  9

  For Panic Attack/Anxiety sufferers........

  by ScoobySnax in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone here suffer with panic attacks or anxiety?

  i guess i have since 1999 after coming out of a particularly abusive relationship that stripped my confidence.

  funny thing back then was that my first "attack" was whilst i was on holiday relaxed when it struck.

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  breal

  I have major anxiety around driving due to many major accidents (always as a passenger). I force myself to do it on occassion but just the thought of driving or being a passenger (especially when the weather is bad) sets me off and I imagine the worst possible scenario. To try to overcome this I force myself to drive when I can in areas I am familiar with (short trips) and make sure that I give myself lots of time so there is no added stress. The rest of the time I am a huge fan of transit...something comforting about being in one of the biggest vehicles on the road.

  The panic attacks I feel around people are more associated with being in tune with other peoples emotions to much and feeling overwhelmed by them. Using a few breathing techniques or allowing myself to simply leave the setting that is triggering my anxiety seems to help. Like you said other people don't seem to notice this in me, but inside & to me it is scary.

  All I can say is try to figure out if you have certain triggers, and take baby steps in trying to deal with it!