Were you 'alive in '75' and how was that year for you?

by punkofnice 179 Replies latest jw experiences

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  punkofnice

  I was a junior borgite in 1975. I remeber looking at the calendar at work in October and thinking: 'Armageddon isn't here yet.....and it doesn't feel like it will be here anytime soon either!'

  I was surprised that Jehovah hadn't obeyed the superior command to bring the big 'A' as instructed to him by Fred Franz. How dare god disobey the JW leader!!!!!

  Yes. 1975 was not a bad year for me, nice weather for riding my motorbike, music I enjoyed, I got some albums by Thin Lizzy, David Bowie, Wishbone Ash, ELP, Alice Cooper, the Who, Bob Marley, New York Dolls, Lou Reed................big list, but you get the idea.

  I 'stayed alive in '75'. If Argh-my-giddy-bum came I must have missed it.

  SO. Were you born, in the JW cult, left the JW cult.......or what was your experience of '75?
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  wobble

  I was born in in1950, in Kent, England.

  In early1975 I wrote ( I was still allowed to do my own outlines for PT's then)and delivered a talk entitled something like "Do you serve your God forever, or for a date ?" I outlined why I did not consider it important when the big "A" came, or if it ever did in my lifetime, as from my reading of scripture you served god according to what he asked, whenever or wherever you found yourself in "the stream of time".

  I got a bit of flack from the "Society men" on the B.O.E but they could not fault my reasoning, they just mumbled about "What the WT says" most in the Congo. agreed with the sentiment of the talk, whilst not questioning whether it all would really kick off about October that year or not.

  In August of that year, at the age of 25, I started paying in to a pension plan that paid out when I reach 65 in 2015.

  Looking back, I was unusual, but I thought everybody, deep down, felt as I did, or should, that it was not important, the date. obviously many were not as pragmatic.

  The problem for me was, that as my attitude and belief had been as outlined above, I was not as upset as I should have been when 1976 came, and nothing had happened.

  Anyway, it was all explained to me at the convention that told us it was all our fault for expecting too much, they never said what they said, we just thought they did.

  I foolishly continued associated with that bunch of liers (the WT, not individual JW's) for far too many years.
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  TotallyADD

  I was a born in just married, working hard at anything I could find. Unemployment was in our area was close to 25%. I was in the building trades in FL. I remember both my wife and I went to my parents in early 1976 and asked why the GB was wrong. My dad got so angry at us for even asking or doubting them. We just caved in so he would claim down. As time went on we had 2 children, raised them now have grand children. Its only been in the last 4 years we finally woke up. Totally ADD
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  Gayle

  Had my first daugther in December 1974. When first pregnant I was worried I would be in some prison world, all for JWs, and there, me with infant. With '75 passing, started my very 'slow falling away,' which proved to be more of a 'slow floating up' to life, reality and fulfillment.

  My daughter, grown, married with two delightful sons, and a very good life.

  There's that popular expression:

  If You Remember the 70s, You Weren't Really There

  My brother and I laugh at that, because for us, as JWs, we remember it all too well.
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  Reopened Mind

  I was a new convert, baptised in '73, married in '74, working hard at anything I could find. Unemployment in our area was close to 25%. My husband was in

  the building trades in FL. I remember he and I went to his parents in earlyh 1976 and asked why the GB was wrong. His dad got so angry at us for even

  asking or doubting them. We just caved on so he would calm down. As time went on we had 2 children, raised them and now have grandchildren.

  Its only been in the last 4 years we finally woke up.

  Reopened Mind, wife of TotallyADD
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  wasblind

  I was in my teens, still under the watchful eye of mom

  my family are worldlies we had no Idea what so ever

  that people were waiting for us to die. We were enjoyin'

  life, just like in the days of noah. And 36 years later

  I'm a mother ,an aunt and will soon be a great aunt
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  nugget

  I was 10 years old and remember the year well. I spent the whole year in a state of worry most of my relatives were not witnesses and as far as I could figure they were all doomed. I was in fear it would come in the winter. When we got to the end of the year and nothing happened I was so relieved.

  It wasn't discussed in the family it was just there in the background.
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  sir82

  I was in elementary school.

  That year was about the peak of my existence.

  It's been all downhill ever since.

  Just kidding.

  Mostly.

  With regard to JWs, I was quite aware of how "big" 1975 was supposed to be, but being so young, I didn't much care one way or the other. I was more concerned with how my favorite baseball team was doing, doing well in school, and playing with my hot wheels.
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  blondie

  I was in my 20's and in a family that privately espoused that "it would come at a time you thought not" and since the WTS thought it was coming in 1975, NOT! Of course, we did not go around trying to publicly push this idea but the few we did remembered what we had said when 1976 dawned.
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  TweetieBird

  I was a teenager in 1975 so my thoughts were more of boys than Armageddon. I think I was actually relieved when it didn't come. I wanted to get married and have kids before the big A. I remember talks from the platform about how grateful that Jehovah didn't bring it then because the opportunity for so many more to come into "the truth" was there. What a crock!