How ManyYears Did You Waste Being A Jehovah's Witness?

by minimus 79 Replies latest jw friends

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  MMXIV

  I wasted upwards of 15,000 hours in attending meetings, going on field service and attending assemblies.

  In my professional capacity that is worth over £500,000 or $800,000

  How much did I achieve in all that time? I didn't bring one person into the organisation. I helped build a few kingdom halls. I kept the machine going with talks and encouraging the tired old timers who were hanging on.

  If I were paid for results then I'd have been empty handed so clearly I did waste my time.

  Leaving was a life changing experience - as if I'd been set free. I've achieved so many things since I left. Never too late to leave and start living.

  mmxiv
• 

  snowbird

  Started "studying" in 1972, baptized in 1974.

  Walked away in 1988, returned in 1998.

  Left for good in 2005 - as of yet, not formally DA'd or DF'd.

  Soooooo ... about 33 years.
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  minimus

  Snowbird, why did you go back? Was it for family or were you not so sure your decision was the right one??
• 

  jookbeard

  born in 1966, walk about years 14-20 baptized 1987 aged 21 married 1990 aged 24 out by 1993 divorced 1995, DA'ed some time 1996! haven't looked back since.
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  minimus

  Jook, that's the key. Never look back!
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  Quirky1

  7 years....Not including all the gas I wasted, money on suits, clothes, conventions, vacations.... Oh shit, this list could go on and on...
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  XBEHERE

  If counting from baptism then 24, but was raised a wit-less.
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  Ding

  Talk about wasted years gets depressing because nothing can change the past.

  Besides, the years aren't totally wasted if you learned something from them.

  Use the memory of those years to appreciate freedom and focus on the present and the future...
• 

  cantleave

  Born in - left age 42
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  Lazarus

  Only 22 little years. But I'm afraid there are many more to come. Yikes.

  Luckily I always did just the minimum and from teenage years on what I wanted to do (e.g. College, wordly friends). Plus I found good friends an - best of all - my beloved wife. So it was not that bad.

  Nevertheless it's a HUGE waste of precious lifetime and listening to the mindless drivel again and again and again and ag...will someday let my head explode.