by EmptyInside 20 Replies latest jw friends
I used to camp for the Sheffield UK conventions,but I was single then,me and a bunch of mates would travel up on our bikes,tents and suits all rolled up creased to hell,but we had some fun on the site playing football and cricket and getting told off for having music on too loud........it was only on 8 for goodness sake,could have gone all the way to 11!!!!
I must find my old photos and get some scanned for here.
Stayed in a few lofts and attics during conventions and an old abandoned Sanitorium above Dodger Stadium, that was interesting.
Thanks for your responses. You never want to go camping with my family anywhere. Something always happens. Your only pair of dress shoes gets accidentally put in the campfire. As one poor sister found out, and she wore a size shoe that noone else had. Or if you want to work unassigned territory and arrive so late you put your tents down on top of poisonous snakes or near a cesspole. And my friends wonder why I despise camping. Yes, this all really happened to my family, plus there's more for another time.
Good lord, the Montana experience sounds like something out of a concentration camp.
Treating JW's like cattle?? Some things never change.
How does this work for the elderly and physically challenged? I would have to imagine not many would attend if they had to 'camp out' unless it was a fairly luxurious type of experience (ie, camper with amenities instead of tents and showers in the cow poop).
My father and some of his older JW chronies 'commute' to the assemblies. No one can afford to stay over. It sure tires them all out.
My husband and I had a tiny trailer in the 80's that we camped in during the DCs at St. Petersburg, Florida.
The campground was in a state park, and beautiful, with large campsites full of hibiscus and tropical plants on either side. The bathrooms were O.K. We would stay several days after the convention and ride bikes and go to the beach.I loved it.
Then the DC was changed to other locations, so we sold our trailer as now needed the money to pay for hotels and food during the DCs.
Wish I had all the money and time I spent on these hotels and DCs over the years.
I have just written on the Scottish thread about camping at the Edinburgh assemblies. Nightmare! We were one of the poor families in the congregation, the six of us had to make do with the old scout tent that was not waterproof and had old wood supports. In a terrible storm one night the whole thing came down and the pole trapped my head against the underlay. When we got out we were soaking wet and cold. The toilets were awful and everthing can be summed up as smelly and cold. I do remember having a girl crush on an italian tourist that was using the bathrooms and had a lovely Purdy style haircut in deep chestnut colour. I was besotted by her, I was in old shoes with cardboard in, they got threw out of the tent during the night because someone said they stank. I felt so shabby next to this exotic creature. Well I grew up into a pretty good looking woman myself, but I still remember that feeling at the camping site.
I camped once with two little kids in a tent in 100% humidity. I couldn't get my nylons on or keep clean for sweating constantly. My dress clung to me and had huge sweat spots on it from outside humidity and sweat. There were also a ton of mosquitos there. Then, we had to walk across a whole field of wet grass. If I camp, it will be in nothing less than a fully equipped pop-up or regular camper. Had a great time in a camper with grandparents for several assemblies.
Try keeping your clothes from wrinkling! lol
I remember camping in Montreal in the early 80s for an international convention. It was all about the "experience" for all the witnesses.
A very important highlight from that trip:
A friend of mine was the son of an anointed. We were outside after the session and he recognized an old friend among the "apostates" picketing outside. He actually began a conversation and then we were suddenly swarmed by apostates. I remember so very clearly what one of them asked: "Show me where Jesus used the name Jehovah". And my friend couldn't answer. He knew it was mentioned in the WTS bible, but couldn't think of when Jesus would have specifically used the name (that is, without the WTS actually substituting the name). That stuck with me for years and got me thinking. My friend eventually went to university and became a lawyer; his dad got DF'ed for who-knows-what-reason (they must have all woken up).
I digressed a bit, but I thought I'd share the moment that possibly started my path to exiting the witless.
