what was the worst meeting you ever attended ?

by man in black 52 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  man in black

  Here's mine :

  Back in the early 90's we went to the Sunday talk and wt study.

  Lo and behold, a friend from the 70's who was df'ed ( he had just been reinstated) was there along with his parents. I had no idea that they would have been there.

  One of my kids was getting sick, so my wife and I were up-down the entire meeting walking him around. Near the end of the meeting it started to rain really heavy, I mean REALLY heavy, and I started to worry about our sump pump going out.

  With a sick baby, and the pump on my mind we decided to leave right after the song, but this friend and his parents walked right up and wanted to talk and go out for lunch. I hadn't seen him for over ten years and I mumbled about having to leave,,, maybe we could get together later.

  We never did get together, I heard that they were all upset at me for leaving !

  I got the definitive "dirty looks" from all of them because of this.

  As I ran through the parking lot to get the car, the pant leg of my suit snagged on a license plate and tore a nice rip.

  After loading everyone in the car, and rushing home my worst fear was realized,,, the pump was overwhelmed because of the rain and all of the lower level carpet was ruined.

  That to me was the absolute worst meeting I ever attended, and while it was not based entirely on meeting material, it was a horrible memory for me that shines like a beacon .

  PART TWO

  Spiritually, I remember really trying to reach out and it seemed that I could never do everything just the way that certain elders wanted.

  Example : ME ) what do I need to do in order to reach out for the appt. of ms ?

  ELDER MIKE P. ) Well, you need to work on your service time right now.

  ME ) Ok

  So I would really put more effort into service, and when the next co meeting came around this is what happened after the appointments.

  ME) OK what am I not doing , I thought that service was a big thing for me to work on ?

  ELDER MIKE ), well,,,, we want you to now work on your comments,,, they are good but we believe that you could do much better.

  ME), why didn't you mention that to me six months ago ?

  ELDER MIKE). I must have forgot.

  This went on for about two years, one Tuesday night service meeting when the appointments were announced, I was a little bit excited that maybe I was now good enough to be appointed.

  elder Mike went up to make the announcements, he said that there were two brothers who were now ms. He looked at me, hesitated, and said the names of two new people who moved into the hall within the past three months. he never took his eyes off of me the entire time that he said this .

  That was one of the first () moments for me.. regarding the "good old boys club".

  How about you ?
• 

  villabolo

  It was a Sunday talk. The speaker spoke in a monotone. If you've never heard a person speak in a monotone it is very amusing-for the first 30 seconds, then it's pure hell.

  As soon as he started talking I knew there was something wrong with him. Within 30 seconds I had one of those OMG moments. After 1 minute of hearing that uninflected voice, I was thinking how I could get out of the hall without making myself noticeable, or starting a chain reaction of people leaving. It was pure torture throughout the entire talk.

  Believe me, you don't want to sit through 10 minutes of hearing a monotone person speak, let alone 1 full hour!

  Villabolo
• 

  beksbks

  The one where they announced my (among about 6 others in the cong) baptism. I still wake up screaming.
• 

  Botzwana

  The worst one? My last one.
• 

  sooner7nc

  This question is like trying to pick out the worst "kick in the nuts" out of ten thousands kicks in the aforementioned nuts.
• 

  villabolo

  Sooner7nc: "This question is like trying to pick out the worst "kick in the nuts" out of ten thousands kicks in the aforementioned nuts."

  Don't you become desensitized after a while? I'm referring to both examples.

  Villabolo
• 

  itsbeenalongtime

  They day I meet with 3 Elders in the back room for 2 hours drilling me alone about personal details of my life....
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  The worst one: I was the chairman of a judicial committee and we reproved the "sister" on a previous evening. One of the other two elders wanted a "public reproof" to make an example of this former pioneer. I refused to hear that, stating that we don't use announcements that way to bash someone and make examples of them. He insisted, but the other elder and I were the majority.

  So this a**hole elder called the service desk at Bethel and misrepresented the case, stating some reasons why we had to announce it. This all came to my attention about 5 minutes before the announcements were to be made. The P.O. insisted that we do that announcement right away. I asked that we wait and discuss it after the meeting and we can always do it next week. I said that I already told the sister there was to be no announcement and she was in the audience. The P.O. got all the elders quickly like it was some emergency and they said the chairman (me) should go out there during the announcements and do it right now.

  I was still following marching orders, but I should have refused and let the a**hole elder do it and I should have resigned right then and there. But I did as they requested and that sister has never forgiven me. She stayed until her privileges were back and then moved away. She came back after I faded out. I at least hope it helps her to free herself from the cult.
• 

  itsbeenalongtime

  OnTheWayOut.......Maybe you should write her a letter.....Poor girl....I also stayed until my privileges were put back in place and now that they are I am leaving. but I tell you if I got a letter from one of those Elders that were so mean and hurtful I would be so greatful and forgive them in a second.
• 

  unshackled

  Guess it would have to be the meeting where they announced me being DF'd. I look back on it now differently, but at the time, it was a miserable experience. That sticks out because I remember the feelings of being an outcast. An utter failure. I grew up in that KH, knew most people for many many years. Seeing friends, and old-time friends of my parents crying tore a hole in my heart. Thought I was dead to everything I knew.

  I did get reinstated within a year. But eventually, a few years later, began my fade away. But that meeting was tough and the months after.