by homeschool 26 Replies latest jw friends
Amen to that, White Dove. Baba, I know you're right. I like this board too, and especially the ones who give whacky comments that give me an unexpected laugh
I see what my hubby is saying...he's not against me being on here. He was just sayin' that I'm getting a bit too wrapped up in the negative aspect.
lol beksbks....thats what I'm talkin bout!
Beks said: Have you ever seen a tree that had something tied around it when it was young? A rope or something? That rope is now grown inside that tree. There is no getting it out. But the tree has grown around it and thrived anyway. That is how I see most of us.
Wow.
I think your getting "wrapped up in the negative aspect" will pass. I have been on this board off and on for almost a year. And I'm moving through that phase. Just like some of the above posters, I will always be angry about the WBTS. But the anger is moving to the back. I'm moving closer to acceptance.
Do something tangible with your anger, deliver anti jw witness literature if you are able. You may not be able to get your loved ones out but you can inform and hopefully stop people from joing in the first place. That's what I do. The anger, sadness and plain disgust of this dangerous and deadly cult never wear off for me. It's kind of like being a Jew and having loved ones who belong to the SS. How do you reconcile that in your mind? They wish you dead, think you are evil, gather with like minded people amd can't wait for the day when 99% of the earth's population is dead on their doorsteps. lovely. Or try to ignore the giant pink elephant in the room, that works sometimes.
T o back up Carla's point, I ran into a jw not an hour ago and he actually spoke to me!
So I told him how (honestly) happy I am and that my exjw daughter is now a supervisor of ICU in the states largest hospital and is joining Doctors Without Borders when her children are old enough to take care of themselves. It's a gentle dig that "worldly" people are doing far more in a practical way than jws ever did to relieve people's suffering.
He seemed genuinely touched, so my witnessing for my current truth may have planted a seed.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind..This site "Will" make you Angry!!................After a while.....You will find a balance............................................................OUTLAW
Things may change tomorrow. But right now I feel like kicking some WT incorporated ass...
In my profession, I can't allow myself to get personally attached or emotionally involved (which is tough to do when people are very sad/angry/stressed)...I guess I'm just gonna have to apply that here as well. Sometimes I care & go a little overboard. I guess the fact that I can relate to so many of your stories drudge up old feelings a lot. But part of healing is moving on as well.
homeschool... I go through many emotions when reading this Forum and anger is one. I see how many people have been negatively affected by the WTS, in many cases, way worse than me. My parents weren't 'in' or baptized when I was growing up. Thank God! But I am now faced with family (my Dad primarily) who is 'in' and has been for years.
One of my strategies has been to try to recognize when anger begins to rise in me, take a step back for a second or 2 to re-group so that I don't react out of anger, and process/re-shape the anger into something that can be productive, positive, and growth oriented (versus the opposite of these). This is a conscious and physical effort.
I had to develop this when my Mum became chronically ill. She was not a pleasant person to be around sometimes and instead of reacting to her negativity in like kind, I tried to channel the negative emotions into something else - something positive. I recognized that I was upset for days afterward but she didn't remember 30 seconds later! I decided I didn't want to treat myself like this.
It takes time and effort to develop this but it can be done. Sometimes not reacting is the best action. Staying calm (as hobo ken has done with the elders in his congo, for example) is definitely achievable and has interesting results. Without the anger coming back at them, most people cannot maintain it and the adversarial condition dies. Sometimes changing the subject is needed. Other times it is asking questions to get the other person thinking. I try to relate situations to the specific person so they can grasp an understanding as it would pertain to themselves. I do this at work a lot. It has good results. Sometimes the only place you can come to is an agreement that you disagree.
Of course... installing a punching bag might be the best way to process the anger! You could build strong arm muscles this way. Whatever you decide, I think using anger for positive means is the best strategy.
