What was your favorite thing about being a witness?

by dezpbem 36 Replies latest jw friends

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  SWALKER

  I had some very good friends but I was selective. I miss the parties ( our Hall had quite a few) and we did all kinds of activities together. Groups would sign up for cruises, camping trips, skiing trips, etc. It was fun for the most part having a group to do things with. We always had groups that went out to eat after meetings, coffee breaks often in service...always could get a group to go to movies.

  A lot of witnesses at our Hall got into trouble...guess we were concentrating more on fun than spiritual stuff!!! Every time the CO came around we got the speach on how we needed to have less fun and devote more time to service, meetings, etc. We all paid close attention and after his visit got right back together and started right in having fun. I and some of my friends ususally could put in more service time than the regular JW, and I think this helped keep the service average up for the ones who only got in a couple of hours each month.

  After years of the same subjects at the meetings, I think I could just about quote word for word what was being said in the talks. I would kind of lip sinc along and that got so old. There were a number of topics that I just couldn't sit and listen to again for the 1000th time, so I would leave early or go in the back and talk to friends. For about the last 5 years that I went...I refused to stay for the service meeting part on how to behave at the assemblies!!! I felt like it was written for the 1st graders and I ALWAYS got up and left and went and had a drink at the nearest bar.

  I had some good ideas for things to make the meetings more interesting and brought this up to several CO's who agreed with me, but informed me that WT was getting tighter on the reins not looser. I had one CO tell me how distraught he was when he was notified that he could no longer ad experiences to his talks but had to follow the outlines now almost word for word. I think he seriously was thinking about leaving at one point. It was like they clipped his wings.

  I don't miss the 5 meetings a week or the preparation!

  Swalker
• 

  mamochan13

  yeah...the friendships were good. I liked being able to travel to a foreign country and have instant friends.

  That connection exists among people who share other common features, but the JW bond was the easiest and most instantaneous.
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  luna2

  It was the instant circle of "friends". Of course, in the beginning, it was love bombing (although I didn't know that). Everybody seemed so pleased to meet me. I thought they were the friendliest people I'd ever met. Even later, when I wasn't the new kid any more, there were many social activities to get involved in. Especially in my first congregation, there were a lot of single/single with kids women to hang out with. I miss that.

  When I moved here I stayed separate from any "worldly" people, and because I worked so much, I never made any close friends at the KH. Then my boys got put on the undesireable list, so I stopped accepting any invitations. I'm so used to being alone that I almost don't know how to go about making friends now. LOL
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  ithinkisee

  I liked thinking I had all the answers.

  Yes, I enjoyed a brief amount of blissful ignorance.

  -ithinkisee
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  MsMcDucket

  There was nothing I liked about being a witness.

  That sums it up for me!
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  mrsjones5

  Nothing...the music is crappy too
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  Finally-Free

  Nothing...the music is crappy too

  True, but it's very simple, and it's easy to substitute the lyrics with your own X-rated ones. W
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  Mulan

  I also liked the get togethers, parties, barbecues, showers, etc.

  There was a wonderful sense of community in our congregation for a long time, and I loved it. It definitely changed beginning in the 90's though.

  When planning our daughter's wedding, I had dozens of helping hands, eager to pitch in and do what they could.

  When there was a death in the family, which happened to us a few times, meals appeared, errands were done, house was cleaned, and even our lawn was mowed, by those in the congregation who wanted to help us.

  Lots of things like that, I do miss.
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  delilah

  You know, when I think back to the get-togethers and such, there were so many clicks, and gossipping back stabbers, whispering all the time...no, I can honestly say, I don't even miss those get-togethers. Sad eh? but oh-so-true. There was nothing that I favored, being a Witness.
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  Crumpet

  You know what - I cannot think of a single thing I liked better then than I do about my life now. I miss being able to kiss to my dad, to learn womanhood with my my mum, listening to music and luaghibng with my sisters.