I've taken a part-time job working nights and weekends. I'm doing this to save up to start grad school next fall. My new job is in a new shopping center. Now there's nothing that gets people to come out of the woodwork (at least around here) more than new store or a new restaurant. Since the center has multiples of both, it's covered over pretty much all the time.
Of course, I've seen people that I haven't seen in years, including many JWs. Some ignore me. Some talk to me. For those that speak to me, the recurring theme is, of course, "We really miss you at the meetings." To which I have started replying, "You do? Really? Because I've been back in Arkansas for three years and I haven't heard from anyone. Well, I take that back, I gave my address and phone number to Brother "Elder" a couple of years ago, but I never heard anything." (It's soooo fun to watch them squirm at that point.) I usually just laugh and tell them that I'm doing very well.
I had one "sister" comment that if I'm still working retail then my college degree must not have come in very handy after all. I smiled, "Actually, my degree has served me very well. I have been able to support my family quite nicely. However, I am wanting to go back to get my masters degree and I feel that it would be easier to save for that by getting a part-time job, rather than asking my family to cut back on expenses."
Now at this point, she really pissed me off, but I didn't let her know that she got to me... And, looking back, she probably did it on purpose, but I don't care. She smiled and said, "I didn't know you had a family. In fact I had heard certain rumors."
"Oh, yeah," I smiled back, "I had forgotten how gossiping was the Witnesses' favorite past-time. You'll forgive me if I can't recall the scripture that says it should be otherwise. Well, I will tell you that those certain rumors never came from me. But, I've known that they were out there for a long time. In fact, best I can tell, they've made the rounds on both the A and B side of the old circuit. I will tell you that I do have a family (I didn't define family). That up until last year, we were supporting two households, mine and my mother-in-law's. And, that I've never been happier in my life."
"But, are you really happy?" she asked.
"Of course! I have found out that happiness comes from a real relationship with God. Not a relationship with a publishing company. Just because I stopped going to the meetings, doesn't mean that I stopped loving God. You don't have to have a WT publication in your hand in order for Him to hear you. I was miserable thoughout my teenage years. Remember when I did this? (I showed her the scar on my wrist.) It wasn't an accident like we told everyone it was. I was sick of never being able to live up to the WTS', the elders', or the congregations' expectations. You can only hear that you're lacking, do what they tell you to to change and then fail repeatedly for so long. If I had kept going to the meetings, I would have been successful at my next attempt. Trust me when I tell you, I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER IN ALL OF MY LIFE! It was very nice to chat with you, but I really need to get back to work. You're more than welcome to give me a call sometime, I'm listed in the phone book." (I'm not holding my breath.)
She looked as if I had picked her up and body slammed her into a slab of concrete. They really believe that once we leave the WT we're all walking around in a haze just searching for happiness, but never finding it. The best revenge truely is being happy.