I can't believe how people in the "organization" can be so cold hearted.
Last October, I got an invitation to a friends wedding where I grew up in Portland, Oregon. I now live in San Diego, California. This friend is still very much a witness and I personally cannot see him ever leaving (in fact, his new wife was in the May 2011 Awake in the YPA section. Her name is Naomi). Anyway, I get a personalized invitation from him in the mail asking to RSVP for his WEDDING and RECEPTION during the end of January 2011. I, of course, immediately RSVP. I told him that it would be hard for me to get up there do to lack of funds, but I WILL be there. I would not miss it. This guy has helped me through thick and thin while a witness. Once I left, not as much. But still, a promised him a long time ago that I would be there for his wedding and I do not break promises. I found out that he and his soon-to-be wife had a gift registry at Target. Looking through the gifts I picked out a high priced item, and marked it on the registry as bought.
I drove 1200 miles one way to get to Portland, just for the wedding. I figured though, since I was going up there, might as well see some friends and family and made it a week long trip. Now, I understand that the week before your wedding might be hectic. I get that. But when I asked him if we could get together one day before (a week before) the wedding to catch up. He couldn't. He had no time. No time for lunch. No time to get a cup of coffee. Nothing. I finally was able to get him to agree to lunch after I pulled the "I drove 1200 miles to get here" card. Lunch went fine and afterward I dropped him back off at his house. A few weeks before, he wrote me an email asking if he could borrow my snowshoes for his hunny moon, so I gave him those.
After that, I asked about where the reception was. He pulled me to the side and said there IS a reception, but I wasn't invited. When I showed him is invitation that he sent me, he just said there was no more room. Now, he knows I left, but doesn't know I will never go back. I was told no room, for family only. Come to find out later, it just wasn't me that was invited. Incredibly hurt, I never gave him his gift ( a $70 bar blender), and was really trying to decide whether or not to even go to the wedding. I talked with a few other JW's about it, and some were appalled, some were "what did you expect, you left the FALSE (truth)".
I did end up going. When I walked in most people that I used to be great friends with, didn't even want to acknowledge my exsistance, like they did in the past. One old friend, no longer friend, nodded. and one other one (who is apparently now an elder and I used to play music with quite a bit) came running up to me and bear hugged me. My back is still hurting lol. The other people that I knew really well, wanted nothing to do with me. They even had a look to them like a, "why are you here? Why aren't you dead yet? Why do you look so successful, your life should be in ruins." I was completely hurt. Right after the wedding I stayed around just long enough to say congrats to the couple and left. To be completely honest, it was really hard for me to not make a scene there. But I figured it was his day. I will have mine, and mine will be full of sweet revenge.
Has anyone else felt this type of hostility? I thought time would repair things, but I guess not. Even a lifetime friend who left and drove almost 3000 round trip to see him get married and was treated horribly. True friendship only in the "FALSE".....NOT.