crashfire451
JoinedTo avoid editorializing, I'll jump right in with both proverbial feet: Raised a 4th generation JW, enjoyed a wonderful childhood never really feeling left out of the holiday/birthday/social normality of 'worldly' children. This was due in part to having a large extended family who were/are fully involved in the organization. Plenty of cousins and friends in the 'truth' to play with. Baptized at 14 and put on the fast track to congregational responsibility. This was accomplished mainly by giving me an inordinate number of talks/parts, and forcing me to try to 'lead' sisters in field ministry as an inexperienced teenager. Veered from said track as a result of my father transferring cities as required by his career. Never planned for higher education, consequently I ended up turning down some rather impressive scholarships which an over-protective and in hindsight wonderfully dedicated high school guidance counselor set up for me. Graduated early and began working full time in the only field I had any skill at, information technology (thanks for the Commodore 128 Dad!) This led to the design/engineering world which I've been involved in for 15 years now. At the age of 20 I moved out of my parents' basement and leased a bitchin' loft apartment in downtown Cincinnati and began attending a different congregation from my family. Once on my own, I started missing meetings due to work obligations and a general apathy for the organization. I can't remember the last meeting I attended, but eventually I simply stopped going despite still firmly believing what I'd been taught all my life. After only a few months, I packed up and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC to get away from the 'concerned' phone calls and general guilt-storm that was my family. Myrtle Beach was enlightening, to say the least. This was where I tried everything I wasn't able to while caught up in the organization - twice. I was still haunted by guilt and the firm belief I was going to lose my life when Armageddon came, which of course was 'fast approaching'. These fears and feelings somewhat tainted my experiences, but a few years later I happened on Tishie's board and had my world blown apart. I won't try and explain the emotion that almost drove me insane at learning the truth about the 'truth' as most here know all to well the confusion/relief/anger/hurt involved in such a revelation. My life really began then, when I was 25. Two years later 9/11 blew my world apart again and I took the only rational action I could see at the time by joining the Marine Corps. This was the second defining moment in my life, and I've never regretted it. I served a tour in Iraq where I was injured, and was honorably discharged as a disabled veteran. Although my injury was and is very painful, I feel extremely fortunate to have come back in one piece, and mourn the loss of the best men I'll ever know every day of my life. Upon returning state-side, I met my wife and best friend and we've been married three crazy years. I live in New Orleans at present, working in the IT/Engineering field once again. I'm fortunate to have two siblings who have also gotten away from the organization, though every other member of my family views me as dead. The pain of losing my family, an unfortunate instance of childhood torture, and recurring but thankfully not frequent nightmares featuring some rather nasty experiences I can't shake from overseas have not a chance at tarnishing my new life of freedom. I'm happier today than I've ever been, and my only regret is that I don't have enough years left to accomplish and experience all that my heart tells me to, though I have no fear of death as to me it's simply another phase in this amazing existence we call life. If you've gotten this far, I applaud your tenacity. Feel free to PM me, I view making new friends as one of the greater joys in life.