My family just took a stroll down witness lane this month as we searched for photographs that our graduating high school daughter needed for her display at her graduation party. We have an immense file of photos of a previous life with the JW's. In a way its a history of a former life. It reminds us of how many friends and family members we lost by leaving the Witnesses. It also brought brought some closure to being a card carrying member of a dangerous cult. One JW lady sent back to us-all the pictures she had of us! I don't think we will stoop to that level of behavior however, we are a little stumped. We left behind many friends on a sinking spiritual ship so to speak. Should we just throw them away? Should we make a seperate album for that part of our lives? Many of the people in the pictures our daughter never knew.
Photographs of old witness friends and Witness events. Do what with them?
by Thechickennest 18 Replies latest jw experiences
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besty
Don't do anything that you may regret later - photos are precious.
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justhuman
Keep them as memory. Never dispose pictures...my grand father was photographer and this is was one of the rules he had...
I keep my pictures of baptizm, talks, dramas at the conventions. It is memory, even though I left WT. Besides we all had a life there
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Princess Daisy Boo
I have photos of old witness friends - they dont bother me.
What I do have a problem with is the sole photo of my baptism - I cannot decide whether this photo should be kept or disposed of. I feel that by keeping it, it means that that baptism meant something to me, which I know now that it didn't - I was a 14 year old girl - to young to be dedicating herself to anything except homework! But, as JustHuman said - these are all memories and they were our life at one stage so it kind of feels wrong to chuck them away!
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lisavegas420
It always cracks me up when looking though someone pictures or albums...and I find either an entire person has been cut out or just their face removed from the pic.
I save all the pictures. Even if I've forgotten who that was in the picture.
Maybe you could make a old life photo album and an new life photo album. Just think of how much fun your grandkids will have laughing at you all. damn kids
lisa
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S3RAPH1M
Save the pictures, make a separate album for them, but don't throw them away, all the best!
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Awakened at Gilead
One JW lady sent back to us-all the pictures she had of us!
And she doesn't think that she's in a cult? lol, that's crazy!
I was just looking through my old pics over the weekend, and I could see several who are no longer JWs... so all is not lost.
A@G
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Velvetann
My thoughts are Save them, they are part of your life.
I didn't have any photos of my JW days. My Mom had them all stashed away for years. Most of the photos were of witness friends with us. When she died in 2006 I inherited everything including the photos.
It had been 25 years since I had seen these photos and it was very enjoyable looking at them after all those years. It brought many memories flooding back but after all this time it didn't bother me anymore. I suggest if it bothers you to look at them, stash them away somewhere safe and in a few years take them out and look at them again. You might have a different perspective on them.
Velvetann
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babygirl75
They are part of your life. I'm sure you still have fond memories of the friendships that you once had. You could keep those together in a specific album. I have a few small albums of the many trips I made to Bethel when my bf was there when I was a teenager. I occasionally still look at them and recall all the good times we had; even though I have moved on with my life without the JW's.
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Layla33
They are part of your life. I'm sure you still have fond memories of the friendships that you once had. You could keep those together in a specific album. I have a few small albums of the many trips I made to Bethel when my bf was there when I was a teenager. I occasionally still look at them and recall all the good times we had; even though I have moved on with my life without the JW's.
Exactly. I threw out the literature because it is not what I believe, but it's the past. I have made peace with it and so looking at the photos is just a facet of who I once was, I had friends, shared laughs and good times with my family - I don't need to pretend that didn't exist because my ideology and philosophy has changed. Everyone has a past, there are still remnants and pieces of smiles and joy you can recall without feeling guilty.