Jehovah's Witnesses and Showing Off

Good Girl or Bad Girl?

So I guess it's convention time again back in Wisconsin or Illinois or wherever the hell they drive nowadays. Someone made me unfortunately have to remember this. So I got to thinking about the conventions and the showing off that took place there:

"Look at my new [hairdo, dress, purse, expensive jewelry, enter other stupid new clothing item here]."

"Look at my new [marriage, baby, engagement ring, enter other stupid 'status' thing here]."

Does anyone else feel this way? Yes, I guess I'm kind of bitter about it. I hate that I spent way too long freaking out about being single and not being married like all the other "sisters" my age and younger, instead of just enjoying being single, which can be so fun. I always felt judged, like no matter how long I spent finding the right outfit and putting it together, it was the wrong something.

Jehovah's Witnesses say they are loving, but they are some of the least loving, most fake people I've ever known. And I knew them well, for 24 years, rarely missed a meeting, never missed a convention, memorial, assembly, whatever. So I think I would know what went down, at least what my personal reality was.

Was this a reality for anyone else at the conventions? It was just an opportunity for everyone to get together and show how much better than everyone else they were?

journey-on

They are just like "real" people...no better, no worse when it comes to that kind of thing. It's like at the Memorial. We always "beaufed" up for it and it always seemed like a way to show off to me. Yep!...just like real people everywhere.

choosing life

I always called the memorial their easter. It was about getting fancy clothes, a new hairstyle and then eating at a fine restaurant. I think we had to have something to look forward to, as they took away holidays, birthdays and most other fun things in life.

Anything to escape the jw drudgery! I will say that I had friends that I only saw at assemblies or conventions and I did look forward to seeing them. All gone now.

Blindbutnowisee

When I first started going to the hall I did not have the money to dress the way I wanted to. My study conductor use to always remind me of the scripture that talks about if Jehovah will provide for the birds why wouldn't he provide for me.

Dagney

My study conductor use to always remind me of the scripture that talks about if Jehovah will provide for the birds why wouldn't he provide for me.

Ouch! How'd that work for you?

sweet pea

GGBG, I can totally relate to your post. I have a wardrobe of clothes I will probably never wear again but I am not bitter (even though I've got the credit card bills to deal with - my own shallow fault!) - I'm just relieved and much more content with less now. No more pressure to wear new outfits, get hair done etc, for the next assembly, assignment or just meetings. I did used to enjoy the thrill of looking good, everyone commenting on how I looked and having the reputation of being very together and well dressed but now I can see it really was quite shallow and had nothing to do with 'faith' and spirituality - more Pharisaical if anything.

When I make an extra special effort these days it's for something really worth it - my old mate's wedding, Ascot, etc...

And you're only 26 - you have a whole 10 years on me! Don't be bitter, be thankful you won't be wasting any more years. :-)

Bonnie_Clyde

I'd almost forgotten. Before I was married, I usually had a new outfit for each day of the assembly. We had 3-day circuit assemblies back then and at least 5-day district assemblies. Guess I was as vain as the rest of them.

Frequent_Fader_Miles

Oh GGBG, you hit the nail on the head for sure! Showing off in JW Land is alive and well indeed. Conventions were the prime breeding grounds for that sort of thing. I got rid of all my "meeting clothes", now I wear REAL clothes. I do enjoy dressing up, so I've revamped my entire work wardrobe. It's so nice being able to wear more body-conscious things that would have been looked down upon in JW Land.

greendawn

The JWs as I knew them were very materialistic as much as the so called worldly people. In their communities I could not detect any real or deep fraternal love something that made me doubt whether they were the truth.

Everything was so superficial and shallow because the org doesn't care about developing Christian personalities that is not its objective but rather they are after exploiting their followers. It's been that way since the time when Rutherford set forth this policy.

Good Girl or Bad Girl?

Thanks, everyone. I go through phases where I'm just relieved to have woken up from "The Truth," but I also struggle with the constant reminders of what a freak I've been raised to be - like for instance at work they told me that it would be my job to decorate the Christmas tree. I could have thrown up on the spot; it made me so anxious and nervous to learn that. I have such a weird aversion to Christmas trees.

It turns out it's not really my job anyway.

And then when I realize my family is at the convention and my mother is no doubt depressed because I'm not there and that makes me angry. I'm angry because I miss my mother desperately, and because she will never see the truth about "The Truth." And she won't allow herself to have any kind of normal relationship with me because of my choice to not be there.

Ugh.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Showing Off

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