I've been out of the loop for a long time now, but it doesn't look like things are much different now that they ever have been: basically, people hate going in service. Another article in the Kingdom Ministry isn't going to change that, either--------------------------------elders, pioneers, publishers, one and all, are going to keep right on fudging their time.
When I was pioneering back in the early 70's, pioneers had to get in 100 hours a month and so we learned ALL the tricks. Now, I never actually lied on my report because that would have been stealing from Jehovah. But I became very skilled at manipulating numbers, just like publishers do today. The most common thing that I did was the Not - At - Home ploy. I had several not - at - homes scattered around and I would always start my time at one before meeting for service. Many times, I would get so desperate for time that I would go back and forth among these houses knowing that I would never have to talk to anybody. I know all the neighbors saw me and it's a wonder nobody ever called the police.
I remember the struggle for time would get so fierce that toward the end of the month I would go to the train station and bus station around midnight to pass out magazines, usually by leaving the back issues on a bench. I got to where I would do anything to get that time in. It was the only thing that mattered. Visit someone in the hospital or nursing home? Only if I counted my time. I had several elderly return visits and I would regularly go see them because I knew that they were so lonely they would always let me in and I could stay as long as I wanted and count the time. Of course.
Love had nothing to do with it. Thinking about it now makes me feel sick and ashamed. And it never dawned on me how fanatical and pointless it was. And all my pioneer partners were the same way. We all thought that we were being blessed to put ourselves through that torture. After all, 1975 was bearing down on us and we were going to die if we didn't. And it didn't end there. Even after I was off the pioneer rolls, I was an appointed servant up until I left the Organization in 1987 and I had to do pretty much the same thing, only on a smaller scale. My "privileges" were very important to me and I had to keep those hours up. I think back on those times and I just can't believe I did it.
Sick and ashamed.
David