My wife and I were DF'd about six months ago as apostates after our combined 88 years in the organization (I love borrowing WT methods of making figures impressive)
. I look back now at age 55 and wonder what it might have been like to have left younger, like 25. At 23 I had my first GREAT DISILLUSIONMENT. Why did I wait another 27 years?
If it were not for the WT perhaps I would have gone to college as I had planned instead of to Bethel for six years. Perhaps I would have started my business a decade earlier in life rather than spend ten years in the 'fulltime preaching work'. Perhaps I would not have raised my children in the Midwestern rurals serving where the 'need is great' instead of in a more affluent, progressive environment.
But all matters considered I do not mind being who I am, and who I am is the result of my total life experience, good and bad. What we have experienced in life contributes to our bank of wisdom and molds our perspective. To change one thing could change everything. You may be thinking, "but I have been injured, my family has been damaged by the WT". I too am angry that my father died for lack of a transfusion and my little brother died needlessly at eighteen years of age, both attributable to the WT. But this is what the WT did to them, not to me. Whether or not this cripples me emotionally is up to me. You see, I'M NOT DEAD YET. What they have done to my relatives and countless others affects me emotionally and deeply but I do not have to allow it to ruin my life or handicap me in any way.
. I look back now at age 55 and wonder what it might have been like to have left younger, like 25. At 23 I had my first GREAT DISILLUSIONMENT. Why did I wait another 27 years?
If it were not for the WT perhaps I would have gone to college as I had planned instead of to Bethel for six years. Perhaps I would have started my business a decade earlier in life rather than spend ten years in the 'fulltime preaching work'. Perhaps I would not have raised my children in the Midwestern rurals serving where the 'need is great' instead of in a more affluent, progressive environment.
But all matters considered I do not mind being who I am, and who I am is the result of my total life experience, good and bad. What we have experienced in life contributes to our bank of wisdom and molds our perspective. To change one thing could change everything. You may be thinking, "but I have been injured, my family has been damaged by the WT". I too am angry that my father died for lack of a transfusion and my little brother died needlessly at eighteen years of age, both attributable to the WT. But this is what the WT did to them, not to me. Whether or not this cripples me emotionally is up to me. You see, I'M NOT DEAD YET. What they have done to my relatives and countless others affects me emotionally and deeply but I do not have to allow it to ruin my life or handicap me in any way. What a shame to miss out of one more day blaming others for robbing us of life.
I read a great 'saying' once that said (paraphrased):Play the cards you are dealt in life. Some, rather than play the game, spend their life demand they be dealt a new hand.
If you are reading this, you must admit to yourself: "I'm not dead yet". So your angry, you have sad memories, missed opportunities. But you could have joined Jim Jones or David Korish. NOPE, We're Not Dead Yet. And now you have your life to make of it what you want. Should we keep complaining about the hand we were dealt or PLAY THE GAME?
Yes, I expect some will work me over for this.
Steve
Steve 
Amac,