Ooo, jgnat, you devil, I like the sound of some of those suggestions!!
Look at it this way; you can get away with a LOT of newbie goofs. If I were you, this is what I would go for, rather than attempt to fit in. Be prepared for the love-bombing; hug them and squeeze them right back. Paste a huge smile on your face, and give out firm handshakes all around. DON'T GIVE ANYONE YOUR PHONE NUMBER. Agree that the world is in a terrible state and then mention a college course you are taking, a book you just finished reading, or an adorable new purchase. And defer any book studies to an indefinite time in the future.
- Wear shorts. Leave all your skirts at home.
- Swear once in a while (not the REAL baddies, just HECK, DRAT, stuff like that) cover your mouth and say, "Did I say that out loud?" and giggle.
- Have a colored streak in your hair.
- Contradict your boyfriend in public.
- If you aren't sure if you are breaking a JW habit, ask. "Do JW's ....XXXX?" I wouldn't want to offend you kind folks. Then forget and do it anyways.
- Wear flattering blouses and t's and flash your boyfriend when no-one is looking.
Chances are they will be working real hard to prove they are just like regular folk. You can switch them in and out of JW-mode by changing the subject matter. Stick to secular subjects and they will be as normal as you and me. Talk about the terrible state of our world, and POOF, watch them switch over to the Canned Presentation. This could be a good trial run what it's like rubbing shoulders with JW's every week.
Let's see:
- I don't even OWN a skirt, so not a problem.
- Hehehe, I swear a little more often than any proper lady should, so what the hell, slipping a few in should be no problem at all!!
- Hmm, shouldn't be a problem having some minor arguments with my boyfriend, we tend to disagree on minor things all the time and I never do what he tells me to.
- I'm sure I could come up with some nice snug shirts to wear, and while I tend to be rather conservative and private, he most certainly wouldn't be opposed to some things that I wouldn't normally do around family. Hey, he's never shied away from some rather passionate kisses in front of his family before.
Ooo, and college talk should be lots of fun. I'm a history major, I can talk about any world problem and relate it to any of the courses that I've taken, that'll be easy. I'm not sure how opposed to college that they are, after all, my boyfriend has a BSc. in Electronics, but it's worth a shot.
Heh heh heh, I come from a very lovey-dovey family, so I'm very good at being affectionate and reciprocating any love that they want to throw at me. I've hear the stories, I'm well-prepared to have them love-bomb me. The thing is, my family does that, too, but they're genuine about it, when they show you love and acceptance, they don't have any ulterior motives (it's a Newfoundland thing, we're all very loving people), so I'm quite good at hugging everyone and shaking everyone's hands and being perky and polite. They can love-bomb me all they want, it'll have no effect on me and I can toss it right back at them. I've been to plenty of family reunions with lots of relatives that I've never met before, I can show false love with the best of 'em.
Ya know, with some more tips like this, it might be an interesting experience. As long as I'm well-prepared and know what I'm going into, it could be a lot of fun. Usually, I'd try not to offend anyone and not to step on anyone's toes, but maybe I'll be a little less careful this time and see what I can learn, like an experiment.
If anyone else has some fun things to try, I'd love to hear it!!
-Becka :)
