Are You Ready for The Memorial?

by OnTheWayOut 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  OnTheWayOut

  It's this week, folks. I thought I might give you a new thread to vent on. Many on our forum still go to the Memorial or have to answer to family about not going. So tell us about your problems, events this year. Are you going so you can bypass the wine and crackers? Maybe if they put some cheese on the crackers, people would partake even more.

  Other than an anonymous Spanish flyer in the mail from the local Spanish congregation, nobody has invited me. That's a good thing. My wife and I went on a short vacation and I came back the other day to return to work while my wife stayed with her friend a few more days. So she is attending the Memorial out of town this year, so her congregation elders will gossip about how "weak" she's becoming since I stopped attending. That's a good thing.

  Anyway, tell us your woes. If you haven't been personally invited, here's your invitation:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyoSxXDKOiI
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  cantleave

  Thanks for the Invite. On this occasion I respectably decline you kind offer.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Hardly any JW's are prepared for simple questions and they just ramble with authority if they aren't ready.

  Consider this question presented in the first portion of this short video:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC26YPFq8xE
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  FreeAtLast1914

  The wife and I still fake going to the Memorial, having a line ready for when her parents grill her "Where did ya'll go to the Memorial?" "Oh I can't remember the name of the congregation. Somewhere south of town."

  In actuality, we get dressed up and go to a nice steakhouse.

  We love Memorial season!
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  insearchoftruth

  That video from the elders being asked the question about why the memorial is still celebrated is very interesting and eye opening!
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  paladin

  That meeting looks like a JC on video. Yes I have to attend the big M in order to keep one of the elders off my back.
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  blondie

  We're going out...it is a special day for us but not because of the memorial. The memorial as far as content and absolutely fakey cariness is the worst one every year. You can watch the cold and cruel ones act niceynicey, seeing that they can depending on who they are impressing.

  Where does the CO and his wife go, the congregation he is attending that week?
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  OnTheWayOut

  We had a C.O. visit once during the Memorial week. He gave the talk. I think that's normal. They squeeze in all the stuff around that and make it an extra extra special week of activity because of the easy work of passing out invitations with the visit.
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  garyneal

  I'm not going this year. I've supported my wife by occasionally attending meetings, going to the assemblies, and even attending the memorial from time to time. I figured that it was the least I could do since she was real good about buying gifts at Christmas, going to see my family at Thanksgiving, and she even went out and bought Easter baskets for the kids.

  However, everytime I go, the kids act up and I get fussed at for not being a 'good enough' parent for keeping them quiet. I guess we have different expectations for the kids but I frankly do not expect kids to sit still for two hours or more at a meeting that is totally boring to them (and me). When I take them in the hallway, she accuses me of letting them get too wild and disturb the meeting. The people in the 'sanctuary' can hear us in the hallway according to her. I don't see where we are all THAT loud and I believe the walls must be paper thin if they can hear anything louder than a whisper FROM THE HALLWAY. We got into a really BAD argument two Sundays ago because I did not think my youngest holding a set of car keys in her hand was being 'disruptive' to the others, she downright patronized me and made me feel stupid. That was the final straw for me as I tried to be supportive of this stupid religion but I can't do it anymore.
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  venetian

  Gary

  I understand how your wife feels. I was a hardcase with my husband for not keeping the kids quiet too. In fact I used to berate him for not taking control like I felt he should.

  With the benefit of hindsight I can now understand how much is put on the believing wife to have her children and family well regarded and classed as good associates. The pressure is huge. In turn us girls transfer the pressure onto our husbands because they are supposed to be taking the lead etc.

  So the kids are ratty and bored due to unrealistic expectations from the parents. The husband is ratty due to unrealistic expectations from the wife, and the wife is ratty due to unrealistic expectations from the congregation.

  Problem is, the wife can't blame the congregation because its Jehovah's mouthpiece, so the husband gets it in the neck instead - sorry guys!

  Memorial is best avoided. Better still, keep the kids home with you too if you can.