ANY happy memories at all of growing up as a JW?

by myababes 24 Replies latest jw friends

  • myababes
    myababes

    Does anyone have any good memories at all of beng raised a JW? The cong I was brought up in was a different one to the ones we were in when we got married. Growing up the meetings were a great social event for all us kids. We used to have the book study at our house for many many years there were about 25 -30 of us and everyone used to bring food for afterwards and stayed for an hour or so and us kids about 10 of us around the same age used to be able to go and play outside run around etc.

    As we grew up and we all hit teenage years we used to go up to my bedroom and play music chat and have a good gossip. This was what we lookded forward to the bookk study was just a means to an end and it was a long hour till it finished.

    We used to also have regular get togethers played party games and generally had a good time. The people that were in then were genuinly lovely people who were convinced they were in the right religion.And when I see them on occasions now they haven't changed much, stll lovely genuine people.

    However in the later years and we moved congs as we moved about after we were married I could see a definite difference. It bred a bunch of holier than thow bigots who are only interested in absolute control no genuine love or concern for the so called lowly in the congs. If you aren't in the elders clique then heaven help you.

    Has anyone else noticed a difference over the years?

  • Junction-Guy
    Junction-Guy

    The only good memories I have growing up as a JW were when we were away from the Kingdom Hall and visiting "worldly" family.

  • Cc81
    Cc81

    I actually had a great experience growing up in the truth.. very similar to what you described myababes. when we were kids it was just one giant playgroup... social club.. we had a lot of fun together.. all of us kids. It wasnt until we got older that things went bad.

  • momzcrazy
    momzcrazy

    Over the pond here in USA I had much the same experiences. My life as a JW as a child was wonderful. Get togethers, picnics, traveling to give talks, and congregation camping trips. I enjoyed the conventions and assemblies, looking for the cute brothers, working with Dad in the sound dept. I met lots of friends traveling to different halls. I even enjoyed getting up early to do street witnessing. Our big group would stop and get bagels afterwards. It sucked during school tho'. I felt out of place and couldn't make friends there.

    My home life was a different matter. A whole other thread.

    momz

  • Robert7
    Robert7

    I didn't grow up a Witness, but I was one the last 10 years. I would say that there were many positive and happy things about it. You had good association and we made some good friends. Treat nights were fun. For a while when book study was at our house, we'd have treat night every other week, and people would stay an hour or more after book study. Gatherings tended to be fun, although since they were 'wholesome' they weren't too exciting.

  • Tuesday
    Tuesday

    Sure, a girl from my congregation I looked up to and looking back more than likely had an enormous crush on literally changed my life. If I didn't meet her I wouldn't be the person I am now. But you know, few and far between, she was a genuine person and very honest about everything. Of course she was then disfellowshipped when I was about 16. There was a ministerial servant that was pretty liberal in his thinking that produced some really great conversations of my youth. There was a group of kids in my congregation and we would play manhunt occasionally which was alot of fun. There were some pool parties as well that were fun. Everyone's childhood is tough, but there's always something you can look back on fondly about.

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    ?????

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    I do. Baseball games, ski trips across bc, alberta and nw states, canoeing trips w bush camping, mountain hiking/camping, masquerade party, big bethel supper pigout at end of bethel construction, to name a few.

    S

  • Junction-Guy
    Junction-Guy

    I dont remember JW's having any masquerade parties.


    I will say this though, even though the JW religion is very destructive to the mind of developing children, even though it is an emotionally destructive cult, the JW people for the most part treated me with respect. I will give them credit for that.

  • Pioneer Spit...oh, i mean Spirit
    Pioneer Spit...oh, i mean Spirit

    One of my fondest memories, from very young: We'd make popcorn and watch the Sound of Music every year. It's still my favorite movie. It was one of the few times that I was included with my older siblings, that I felt part of them.

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