nope
really
ANY happy memories at all of growing up as a JW?
by myababes 24 Replies latest jw friends
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restrangled
There were a few picnics, some parties, and one or two thrown by my parents. But there was always some elder complaining and eventually everything was forbidden.....no parties, no picnics, no nothing.
Elders were expected to approve any get together and everything came to a halt. The Watchtower aka God also started printing articles restricting every possilbe situation to the point no one dared have a party.
Welcome to the Nazi decades blessed by the WBTS........has anything changed?
r.
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tijkmo
i had happy memories up to 5 years ago.
i enjoyed all the spiritual stuff but i liked everything else too.
pre convention work - bbqs - cong sports - visiting - having visitors - travelling to u.s. and being invited to join in with local cong activities - having them or others unknown stay with us - quickbuilds - ceilidhs(barn dances) - theatre and so on and so on
it was a very happy time and i made a goal of making it happy for others who were less fortunate esp younger ones with perhaps only 1 jw parent - going out for meals - movies - pub - watch a dvd etc.
to be fair i am still invited to some things and treated pretty well...my nephew asked me recently why i dont come back since i have lots of friends in the kh. it really does surprise them that since i loved it all so much why do i stay away.
but i loved it because i believed it.
and now i don't.
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jaguarbass
When I was growing up a witness I had some pleasant experiences. I met my wife at the hall. I had a musical band with the brothers for a while this was the 60's. We played baseball and footblall in season. They also played bassetball but I generally didnt play that.
We had parties often and we had get togethers with various friends and would sit and drink and play cards.
DRinking and playing cards and games was always popular.
I went camping with various friends.
I still have friends who were my wifes and I best friends like in 73 in Cleveland. We moved to Fla in 81. I quit in 83 they got divorced about the same time.
Now they live down here in Florida and we spent the past X-mass with them even though they are divorced and out of the troof.
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Twitch
Yea, there were, back in the days of innocence before I developed a mind to think and question, before I grew up and walked with the rest who live in the real world (or whatever permutation of reality comes to mind; mine, yours or theirs). It wasn't all bad; there is much to be said for a sense of belonging, to be a part of a group. I think everyone needs that feeling on a social level at least. Back then, I wasn't "in" with the group and haven't been part of one since, religious or otherwise. But I do remember the feeling of being loved by god, no matter what the other dubs said. F*** 'em, I thought, they should mind their own garden. Not much has changed really, 'cept I don't believe in god anymore, lol
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changeling
Nope.
changeling
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Mincan
Damn straight:
I used to go out in service with my mom and her friends, which were my friends too, when I was just a little guy (when I was still completely happy in my bubble before age of 9). It was fun for me because it was weekend activity with mom when not at school and afterwards we would always go to Niagara Square (mall) to the food court and I was allowed to get some french fries.
I didn't have a father then either, and several really sincere nice MSs (some of them that liked my mother) would take me on trips and such and teach me stuff, always having nothing to do with JW doctrine.
If one is well adjusted socially while in the JWs, I think you do enjoy the association, especially a child that believes its the truth and these are ones "brothers and sisters" etc.
I lived in a geared-to-income complex then in which about 5 JW single mothers lived (how fitting in retrospect) and all the good association was right there for me to hang out with them.
I used to talk to other children about the fantasy elements of the bible that everyone wishes were true: all races getting along, unconditional love, etc, eternal life, not getting old, I made a lot of friends with people that had no other friends because I didn't judge based on socioeconomic status or race, and there response was great.
No doubt I would have enjoyed other things were I not raised by my mother in JWism. It wasn't all bad until about the age of 9/10, then being in it became a burden and very taxing on my personal vulnerabilities, causing depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. From the ages of 7-9 though it was okay, before that no as I got beaten often for being a hyperactive kid in a hall. After that, as I said, no.
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Layla33
Good experiences, sure with my family and friends in the group, especially as a young child. But I wouldn't attribute that to the JW religion, I have friends from every religious group out there that had the same exact experience. Quakers, Adventist, Sunni Muslims, etc. It was being in the "in group" have that sense of group think and affliation. As a child, there is no higher cognitive development, so of course, having a fun group of friends to interact with were nice. As we got older, I saw the turn out of repression, superficial pseudo-spirituality. I saw latent homosexual behavior, violence and just other things that many young teenagers "acted out" because of the forced stepford/cult association.
Funny moments: A woman so overcome with Jehovah's abundance, she is literally prancing in sign language as they sing at a convention. I still remember laughing.
A very obvious mentally ill brother who was asked to read the last paragraph for book study, who forgot to take his meds and tried to act the part of Picard facing the board. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Sitting with my grandfather who had one too many drinks and spilled about all the elders and their affairs that were covered up. The MS who had been caught with not one, not two but three young boys and was reprimanded but still allowed to be in the KH with a title. All the physical violence and domestic abuse that the "brothers" covered up. Actually, this one isn't funny, just ironic and tragic.
It can be fun as a child, but I think it can be particularly hard for teenagers and all the confusing information giving about coming of age is just ridiculous. One of the things I noticed is the young age that a lot of JWs are made to get married because of not wanting to sin, which I think is ridiculous. So many of those good JWs are divorced, DFS, or just plain haven't made a meeting in years and are not with their spouse.
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LouBelle
Honestly I did have some good times, some excellent memories, holidays, friends, even some excellent pioneering moments (truly believed I was doing some good)
Yet as my doubts grew...
not one of my "friends" stood by me, tried to understand.....but I had expected that.
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R.Crusoe
It is a fact that nostalgia and memory are wonderful emotional gifts that life bestows on humans. It is noteworthy however that being part of any group that may shun you empowers them to erase nostalgia and love of relationships and good times that were once a reality that has now been sullied by their attitude toward you as not deserving in some way the life you are in and part of.
Their psychology is indeed a cruel and destructive one operated by imperfect humans claiming it to be of divine authority!
This notion is the essence concentrate of all that is evil in humanity!
It is the corner stone of their faith!