by greendawn 26 Replies latest jw experiences
We all talk about our negative experiences with the JWs and no doubt most were negative but weren't there any positive experiences with some of the few decent JWs around?
I recall an old JW who was of the anointed and who was very benign, knowledgable, supportive and opposed to much that the dubs were doing especially the lack of love among the congregations. Also another very good natured dub who would always reward me whenever I gave him a little help with his business.
Yes I had some really good friends as witnesses, one I miss immensely, his name is John and the song always reminds me of him, he saw a lot of the hypocisy, he is a great man, a great person, I think of him with tears.
"anyone here seen my ole friend John, can you tell me where he's gone"?
abr
Yes, on one hand I can recall the good times. Very sweet memories of very dear people. Mostly gone.
I learned something from living awhile and knowing some great people......when you are having fun with some great friends, enjoy yourself to the hilt and burn their faces and the fun into your memory!
(sniff)
Cause those sweet times do not last forever.
I had some happy times in the jws, and made some good friends.
Of course, they were mostly conditional friends who don't speak to me now.
The best thing that happened to me as a jw was meeting Trev. I guess that probably wouldn't have happened if either of us hadn't become jws.
Most experiences were negative. Potentially damaging even. But in an effort to be balanced, I try to seek the positives as well since it is an undeniable part of me.
I remember "get-togethers" as a young child in Weatherford; watermelon, catfish, boiled peanuts. One of my best friends in the world at the time, "C" and I playing Squirrel Family out in the tall tall weeds behind his house (we would make little paths and nests out of the grass). Then our mothers would have to pick out the chiggers (it's a Texas thang) from our bodies. So, some good warm fuzzies came out of the witnesses. I think in the earlier days, the witnesses were a tad kinder, warmer. This seemed to change as they grew (as cults will, eventually becoming religions). *sigh* it is the way of things.
Yes, there were some great people I knew in the org. But as fullofdoubtnow said, their love was conditional so those experiences are bittersweet.
I did however retain one friend from those days, my boyfriend who posts as "ackack" here.
There are also the children who I loved in the congregation. I have posted about them many times here. I retain fond memories of them and hope they'll come find me one day.
tall penguin
Friends - tons, but yes, they were conditional. Lots of the older ones really loved me and took me under their wing. Some of these same older ones still give me huge hugs on sight, despite df'ing. They have more sense that that!!!! LOL - There are great people everywhere, with or without labels.
Actually, most of our experiences as JWs were positive. We were lucky and belonged to a couple of congregations that were full of very genuine people. It was very sad to watch the WTS slowly squeeze the life out of them.
The reason we left is because we discovered that the "Truth" was actually a fabrication.
Cellist
I've posted this before, but the J.W.'s saved my life.
I won't go into detail, but it's true.
Cellist talked about the WTS squeezing the life out of people. I have to agree.
When I first came in, everything was actually pretty good. Good people, good congregation, but it slowly deteriorated.
Warlock
I found some true (yet conditional) friends there that helped me through my troubled teenage years and now when
I think of them I smile fondly at their memory. I feel a great sense of relief for the ones who have passed on and great
sadness for those still in the Org. But the best experience with the JWs would have to be meeting my hubby, introduced
by a mutual elder friend, two weeks later he asked me to marry him and I said yes. We are in our 24th year of wedded
bliss.
