When you were a Witness, there must've been things that you really wanted to but couldn't because you were not able to. Give us some examples, please.
Name Things You Wanted To Do As A JW But Couldn't--- That You Do Now
by minimus 46 Replies latest jw friends
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drew sagan
Towards the end I really wanted to vote. After seeing politics in the congregations, the UN Scandal, as well as just reflecting on the Watchtowers many court cases I realized that telling people not to vote was just absurd.
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AuldSoul
[ x ] Wear a beard.
[ x ] Smoke a cigar if the mood struck me/a friend wanted to.
[ x ] Watch Rated R movies without feeling guilty or wondering what people would think.
[ x ] Own a two-door car (still working on this one).
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megsmomma
Mostly "stupid" little things, like listen to music I like and read books I want to read. Of couse, I love having a X-mas tree...and celebrating birthdays of people I love. Also, sleeping in (as much as a baby lets me) on weekends.
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journey-on
There's so many! Here's a few
Give money to Charity instead of the WTB&TS Publishing/Real Estate Invesment Corp.
Celebrate Birthdays
Hand out candy on Halloween
Laugh out loud at a slightly dirty joke
Salute the Flag
Rise for the National Anthem
Vote
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Clam
Name Things You Wanted To Do As A JW But Couldn't--- That You Do Now
MasturbateDonate Blood. -
Happy Harvester
- vote
- campaign
- eat birthday cake
- wish people a happy holiday
- sing Christmas songs if I feel like it
- celebrate halloween
- refuse to capitalize god or the bible (when I can remember)
- write my own thoughts and parrot only intelliegent ones
- notice anomalies that I wouldn't have noticed if I stayed in
- fight abuse
- avoid stupid and abusive people
- pay attention to what's really important
- learn and grow (I hope that's what I've been doing)
- go to therapy
- avoid splitting people into good and evil as much as I once did
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compound complex
Attend concerts at a church
Say birthday and holiday greetings
Talk to DFed people - in public
Lose the guilt
CoCo
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undercover
After a reading some of the other posts and thinking about it for a moment, I realize that the list is endless.
But a few are:
Watching any movie that interested me without worrying about what it was rated or what other JWs would think about my watching it.
ditto for any music that I liked.
ditto for any reading material that interested me.
Growing my hair and/or beard in any style that I liked without worrying about if it was up to JW standards.
ditto for grooming.
Having friends outside of the JW network. It was so ingrained in us to not associate with workmates that I avoided all contact with them outside of work matters. It ended up hurting my advancement in the company because of my perceived unfriendliness. Once I faded and became more of a "regular" guy at work, I saw more advancement and trust put in me as a part of middle management.
I also avoided neighbors. I never knew their names let alone anything about them. Since moving and becoming inactive, I've become an active part of the neighborhood, helping neighbors, going to parties, joining neighborhood movements to protest things that could hurt our neighborhood.Hobbies. Not that they were completely banned or wrong, but it was counseled to not become too wrapped up in time consuming hobbies. Now the time that would have been used for meetings or service can be used for my interests and hobbies not related to the religion.
And one that is coming up soon...celebrating Halloween. Even as a JW I secretly loved Halloween. You can have Xmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, I love Halloween. I like the movies, the costumes, the parties...it's great. Now I enjoy it and look forward to it. As a fader, I have to be careful to a degree...I can't decorate my house as I'd like to (if I ever do, it'll be cool as hell) but I do get a costume and go to parties.
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5go
MasturbateVoteHobbies. Not that they were completely banned or wrong, but it was counseled to not become too wrapped up in time consuming hobbies. Now the time that would have been used for meetings or service can be used for my interests and hobbies not related to the religion.
Mine were my room is full of tanks, warplanes, and warships