by JH 3 Replies latest jw friends
Often I meet JW's and most of them will shun me to a certain extent, although I'm not DF'd, but what I find funny is that many that are disfellowshipped will also shun me or do their best not to look at me.
So then I wonder if they think I'm still active and they are DF'd, so that's why they shun me. But I have no clue if they are DF'd or not since I don't go to meetings anymore.
I had a rather worrisome experience a few weeks ago, when I ran across someone I know was disfellowshipped many, many years ago. So many, that I recognized them, but they probably don't know who I am.
The worrisome part was that the second I saw them, it was like a switch went off in my head, and I automatically more or less 'shunned' them. It was quite involuntary. I even got this feeling in my gut that these people were "less" than me, that they were "bad people". My heart knows it's bull and my brain actually knows it's bull, but that switch went off anyway. Can you say programmed!?
In my 'defense', I was probably also worried that they may recognize me and wouldn't know if I was out or in, though, so it became a little awkward for that reason too.
jh, they may think your still in and don't want to deal with it. i say try to talk to them next time. you may be able to encourage them.
I agree they probably thought you were still in and didn't want to deal .
I was upfront with someone I knew was DF'd and just told her I didn't attend anymore or believe in shunning. She is a waitress at a local restruant and has JW in all the time .Usually if she has to wait on them it is strictly business kind of way .
She was relieved to be able to be natural with me ,and she even invited us over for cards and supper one night ,had a good time .Now her daughter works for me once a week on a cleaning job.
