For those who've left - any regrets?

by starfish422 37 Replies latest jw friends

  • QUEENIE
    QUEENIE

    I am in agreement -- I did not do so soon enough either/if I had the room I would invite all over to my place even FRED HALL for corn beef and cabbage and green beer--I kid U not.....LOVE YA QUEENIE

  • JBean
    JBean

    I haven't left yet, so I obviously don't have regrets yet on that front. But for those of you who lost family/were disowned, etc.... that is exactly what is holding me up!!! I am soooo petrified of losing my mom, dad and brother. Having them look at me like I'm a pariah... I just don't know how y'all lived through this... Anyhow... I'm still working on it. Wait... I do have one regret... that my folks actually converted to this when THEY were kids. (Big sigh...)

  • QUEENIE
    QUEENIE

    JBEAN---I seem to look at the active JWs as pains in the butts and have NO JWs stickers all over the place...I have a few relatives still JWs but no matter to me they do not speak GOD loves me just the same!!! PEACE

  • morrisamb
    morrisamb

    comment on Mommie's point about not going to funerals of JW's

    I went to one 10 years after I left (I still hadn't been disassociated yet..that came later), it was the weirdest thing...like an episode right out of the Twilight Zone..actually Night Gallery; anyways, familiar faces, everyone looked older, I looked better because I didn't dress like them anymore but it was as if I was invisable. As though I were a ghost sitting among them. The fact that they would or would not say hi to me in this situation carried no weight whatsoever.
    It was my first witness function in a decade, so I feared my own reactions -- during the prayers I held my head up and looked around.. I just knew I didn't belong here and wasn't going back for a rerun.

  • starfish422
    starfish422

    I have dreams where I am back at the Kingdom Hall, even though in my dreams I am still DA'd, and I'm trying to comment at the meeting but I don't know what the study's about this week....or I'm out in service, trying to do my presentation but I don't know what the articles in the current issues of WT and Awake are about.

    Anyone have those dreams? Funny thing, my dad is never in them. Maybe because he's the person I miss the least. My mom is always in them but I don't really miss her that much either. Mostly I miss my little sister and my one brother; and all the (I'll call them) friends I had...though if they had been my true friends they would have been proud that I had the courage to stand up for what I thought to be right; rather than shunning me.

  • mommy
    mommy

    Morris
    I have been out for 9 years so I am sure I would have recieved the same welcome, also I am not DA or DF. I know they say funerals are a way of helping thsoe who lost the person, a sense of closure for "us", I missed out on this. I have decided to send a card to the parents, and this will help me feel a bit better on this issue. It is funny to be amongst them again isn't it? Keep styling
    wendy

  • YoursChelbie
    YoursChelbie

    After not going for about four years, I went back recently -- just to see how it was.

    What struck me at first was that half of the seats were empty. The whole meeting seemed incredibly dull, more so than before.

    I was expecting that in light of the Dateline, UN and other serious issues, someone from the platform would comment on them.

    But no one said a word about the current events. It's as if they are oblivious to the whole situation--which I'm sure is affecting some, if not most of the members.

    The ones that seemed happy to see me again kind of gave me the impression that they were trying too hard to smile (if that makes any sense.)

    If I had been looking for encouragement to get active again, I would not have found any. Attending that one time just reaffirmed to me that I don't need to be there.

  • MrMoe
    MrMoe

    Fun post!!!

    To live life with regrets is to look back. There is no looking back, only WOW WHAT A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE!!!

    All the sad things in life are simply the spring board for growth and regeneration. I have no rgrets in life and cherish each memory. Being raised as a JW made me who I am today and to go back in time and change anything would change me and my personal identity!

    Kisses,

    Moe

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