Hardships and Assemblies

Sunspot

I just left a post on the "PA Convention" thread concerning some of the hardships and difficulties that JWs had to (or some here still have to?) endure just to either GET to a convention or what they go through after getting TO the convention.

Having to trot around from designated doors to the restrooms (rather than being ordered to use the door THEY told you to) no matter where your family was sitting....

Or having you and your family have to climb way too many stairs on the last upper tier to find seats.....while plenty of empty seats remained on the ground floor that were never used that whole day?

Or the designated WTS-regulation-sized cooler you had to lug into the stadium because you weren't allowed to leave the site to get a snack or a drink?

Or being told that you should not go outside the arena for lunch in order to "please ~~Jehovah~~ the WTS?"

Or being told which hotel/motel you had to stay at every year?

What can you add to this list?

lovelylil

I hated the signs the brothers would hold up saying "please be seated" or "please be quiet". Even though they said "please" I thought what nerve they had to control everything down to the last miniscule detail. You were not even allowed to say hello to someone you passed in the hallway.

Also the covering of the mirrors in the ladies rooms so that the sisters could not stop and check their hair and have to get to their seat quicker.

I really HATED everything about the conventions come to think of it. And I used to have panic attacks the week before and got a headache at every one of them. I thought they were unloving, too long, and full of what I called "indoctrination propaganda". Had to go cause my hubby went and he liked them. I usually went outside with the kids for like 75% of the talks towards the end. Lilly

Balsam

The last years I was a witness and attending conventions I was handicapped and could not climb stairs. The family was not allowed to sit with me (husband & three sons) because of the lack of room for handicapped. I spent the entire convention sitting apart from my family which really made me mad. I had trouble with bathrooms because of the lack there off and having to stand in the terribly long lines or go up and down stairs to other ones. Having to bring our own food rather than going out was a real hardship so we went out anyway.

Before that I had an Elderly mother to care for, and I had to sit with her on the floor again the family could sit with us. Bathrooms again were a terrible problem. At the time I had three very young boys who was cared for by their Dad alone. My mother finally quit going it was just too hard, besides she could not really understand what was being said.

Then there was the time when my boys were just little guys and a new baby and trying to attend coventions. It was just horrible, uncomfortable and hard on the children sitting for 8 hrs a day. After I had children I came to hate the hardships of the conventions. I felt they should be done away with.

Scully

It was brutal having to attend with small children. If they were fussy in their seats, you had to leave your seat. If they were fussy in the corridor, you had to go somewhere else. If they were fussy somewhere else, you were expected to spank them... like that made them stay quiet.

I used to tell Mr Scully that for all the time we spent keeping the children from disturbing the other delegates in our section, we might as well just stay home anyway. We got absolutely NOTHING out of the program. Not that there was really anything to get... but it was a complete waste of time.

Wasanelder Once

Fighting for seating,

crappy lunch eating,

brain took a beating,

insincere greeting,

what a great meeting!

District Convention described in short ryhme.

W.Once

Dansk

Assemblies! Hated them with a passion. I enrolled as a watchman just so that I could get out of my seat and walk around outside. Poor Claire suffered the most as she it was who got all the kids and food prepared and had to sit through most of the talks. By comparison I had it really easy. I really do think our wives are angels on such days. It took me all my time just to get myself ready! And we had to get up early, too

Ugh! Makes me feel sick just thinking about those days. Hardly ever, if ever, took any information in; needed matchsticks to keep my eyes open; was pleased when either of my sons needed the loo so I could accompany them - and always ended up having a stiff backside!

Ian

Sunspot

I hated the signs the brothers would hold up saying "please be seated" or "please be quiet". Even though they said "please" I thought what nerve they had to control everything down to the last miniscule detail. You were not even allowed to say hello to someone you passed in the hallway.

Yeah....me too!, Lilly! I hated the "please keep moving" when I would get up and go and stand outside the auditorium just to keep the blood circulating in my legs, but I didn't want to actually take a hike around the building! This made me upset when they pranced around holding those stupid signs.

Also the covering of the mirrors in the ladies rooms so that the sisters could not stop and check their hair and have to get to their seat quicker.

I was so miffed the first time I saw this done! I wondered--- WHO did they think they ARE to cover mirrors like a religious ritual? I could not believe the had done that!!!!

I really HATED everything about the conventions come to think of it. And I used to have panic attacks the week before and got a headache at every one of them. I thought they were unloving, too long, and full of what I called "indoctrination propaganda". Had to go cause my hubby went and he liked them. I usually went outside with the kids for like 75% of the talks towards the end.

I suffered those panic attacks all during the time I was a JW.....mostly at assemblies when I would get trapped in a crowd while trying to keep an eye on my kids. These panic attacks STOPPED COLD when I left the WTS! Go figure.

Sunspot

I spent the entire convention sitting apart from my family which really made me mad.

Balsam....I hear ya! The year I was in a wheelchair, I had to do the same thing! The sister who volunteered to sit with me and tend to the needs I couldn't.....was told she had to go up to the regular seats.....she wasn't "authorized" to stay with me! SHE was hurt and upset, and obviously, so was I. The WTS does not CARE.

Bodhisattva1320

awww yes i remember the rediculousness! the last conventions i went to i was 13, 14 and i spent all my time either looking for hotties with my binoculars, doodling on my notepad or wandering around looking for a Mother whose baby or toddler i could help with since this meant we got to hang around in the empty hallways during the talks.

i always felt bad for the older people struggling to make it to the conventions and people with small children- sitting there ALL DAY LONG that in itself is bad enough. also forcing people who are already giving all they have ($) to pay for accomodations and then asking for MORE donations on top of that- pretty crappy imo.

brings up another topic- who is organizing protests outside conventions?

Sunspot

It was brutal having to attend with small children. If they were fussy in their seats, you had to leave your seat. If they were fussy in the corridor, you had to go somewhere else. If they were fussy somewhere else, you were expected to spank them... like that made them stay quiet.

Scully, Yes---I can sure attest to THAT! By mid-morning I would be exhausted trying to keep everything (and every one under 10 years of age) in line and TRY to pay attention to something other than what was going on in my own row! It DID seem to be a waste of time, money and energy even way back then!

Hardships and Assemblies

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