I was born into "the Truth" in 1963, so I was 12 in 1975. I certainly remember the hype, and to my young mind it was fearful.
Yet, it was also exciting for me, since I was told that I would never go to high school in this system. If any of you have had the horrible experience of being a weird non-holiday-celebrating, non-team-sport-playing witness kid in school, you can appreciate the hope of not having to continue your education as an outcast.
I remember the excitement at the assemblies at Dodger Stadium (in L.A.) in the early 70s. The speakers did indeed frequently mention the number of months remaining (which made baking all day in the sun just slightly more bearable).
In 1973, my single-parent mom was disfellowshipped for smoking. I continued to attend meetings with my older sister (who was the one who had turned in our mom to the elders), but I was terribly upset that my mom was going to become bird food in just a couple more years. So, when 1975 came and went, it was actually a relief, since I still had hope that my mom would "come back."
I also remember for a time right after 1975 that the "we-don't-know-when-Eve-was-created-and-when-Jehovah-officially-began-his-'rest'-day" excuse was given for the delay. As the months, then years passed, this increasingly changed to the "no-one-knows-the-day-nor-hour-so-why-were-YOU-speculating-anyway?" tactic.
When I graduated high school in 1981, and the end hadn't come yet, I went a bit wild. However, I got pulled back into the cult a couple of years later with all the "this generation will not pass away" hooplah. I got baptized at that time, but 20 years later had had enough and left.
It's amazing to read all of the changes that have happened since that time (generation definitions, no more 1935 heavenly calling door-closing, etc.) and so liberating to read them as a free-thinking observer and no longer as a mind-controlled zealot.
