Do you ever look back and cringe...

by laverite 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  Phizzy

  I cringe at the arrogant big-headed guy I was in my youth, convinced we had the truth, and convinced I had a better grasp on it than most in my Congregation.

  The latter bit may well have been partially true, as I was actually a bookworm and read widely on many subjects, a lot to do with the Bible etc

  But I thought I always gave the most meaningful talks and answers etc.

  Fat-headed prat kinda describes the young me, I cringe when I think I went toe to toe with some really educated religious people, Vicars of the Cof E, Catholic priests, and one of them at least a Doctor of Divinity, they must have shook their head in wonderment at my ignorance after I had left, but they were far too polite, too Christian I guess, to point out my lack.
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  laverite

  Best comment of the entire week: " my whole life is just one big long cringe" by Ucantnome.
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  Muddy Waters

  Gah, it makes my toes curl in total cringe to remember the arrogant self I used to be... So convinced of my rightness. Everybody else wrongness.

  One home I went to in FS-- the mom and kids were in the driveway and that month our presentation, which I so studiously memorized, was about Babylon the great, the great harlot. Yes, I actually started speaking about this in front of her little children. Even used the word, harlot. Is anybody cringing with me? Totally horrible to think of it now. The mom, the householder, thankfully put me in my place, said something like, "Oh my god, get out off here! Get away from us!" And it was only then that I realized how I must have sounded.
• 

  Bella15

  Wow @ Donny
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  laverite

  Muddy W! Wow, what a story! I love the reaction: " "Oh my god, get out off here! Get away from us!" That must have startled you a bit. I mean, with a reaction like that, it would make most people stop and wonder what they had said to merit such a reaction. Sadly, there are many JWs who would just put it down to the wickedness of "Worldly TM " people.
• 

  Watkins

  Gah, it makes my toes curl in total cringe to remember the arrogant self I used to be... So convinced of my rightness. Everybody else wrongness.

  Had to lol about the toe curl, but absolutely true for me, too... was way too proud of being oh-so 'right'.

  Totally humiliating to recall the efforts people went through to 'accomodate my religiousness' when my (never-jw)mother died. The women of the Methodist church wanted to host a meal in the church basement. I tried to be as tactful as possible, and opted out of the meal and said I wanted some time alone after the funeral. I don't think I was disrespectful at all and didn't mention jws, but my sister related to them all that it was because of my weird religion... wish I'd known ttat then! Anyway, they completely changed to venue of the dinner, insisting over my protests. It embarrassed me to have caused such a hassle... and then I really would've liked to have had that alone time!

  That was one of the first things I thought of when I had my epiphany of wt wrongness. And I immediately apologized to my sweet husband for so much arrogance on my part --- thankfully, he was waiting for me to come to my senses!

  Was recently thinking of that, and how it'd be nice to write those church ladies a note, thanking them for their Christ-like kindness in view of my ignorant state of mind. Yes, I think i will.

  What makes us cringe now, has caused humility - don't you think? If we're to learn a lesson from it, I think we have!

  w