by franticfran 62 Replies latest jw friends
Hey xx
Many of us wasted decades to that publishing company / property developers, it is never too late to leave and set up an awesome life, forget fear and regret, think excitemnent and potential... Though I know that is hard to see right now. You have taken the first few steps towards having your life back!
A big hug and a warm welcome x prepare yourself for finding out the truth about the truth..... Its pretty stinky!
Snare xxx
Greetings and welcome
Hello and Welcome to where you can learn "the truth about the truth" or TTATT
Make sure to make good use of the search function on this website . 4.4 million posts any topic you can think of has been
discussed at length .
50 yrs a bornin JW .
Thank you everyone,this will be the first time in over a year when I feel that I can just "talk" at last!! We walked away from the congregation over a year ago now and it has been a tremendously difficult time,after over three decades in the congregation we have felt as though we have been walking in total darkness and thats a fearful place to be. We are just surfacing into this strange new world and it is difficult on so many levels,so many emotions...anger.mistrust.disappointment.bewilderment and fear,do we have enough time left to salvage our lives and realy enjoy things again. We dont want to rebel or say unkind things but I realy do feel that we were controlled and manipulated for decades and to raise a voice in dissent was to bring the might of the elders crashing down on you,and believe me it did! I just want to say thank you for your hello,s you have no idea how normal that makes me feel. :)
Hi Fran,
The collective opinion here is that life is much better after leaving. My wife and I left in our late 50s, and have found that to be so true. You now have time to pursue things that really interest you. Having more time allows you to find out what really interests you, should your prior range of interest have been as narrow as the organization recommends.
Here's to you enjoying your life to the full!
It is never too late to start a new dream. Are there places you would like to go, a hobby you would like to take up, a class you want to take?
Someone said"let us know a bit about yourselves" but I am afraid its all rather unexciting and I suspect predictable, and money on it you have heard it all before too. Were an older couple with three lovely children, we were baptised in 1975 and life was for the most fine for years allthough there was a lot we were unhappy about but we wanted to be obedient and so we carried on,but toward the end some of these "new truths" just didnt seem to come from the bible but seemed to spring from private interpretation,but God forgive us we stayed silent. The elders were slowly becoming more and more hard line and many in the congregation became afraid to express their opinions on even the most minor of matters,the word "apostacy" was used frequently to silence any unwelcome discussion,and it did. Im afraid the catalyst for us leaving was more mundane..I had a row with an elders wife,and that was it,the group was removed from our home after thirty years and it just went downhill from there on until I needed medication just to walk into the hall,we became like pariahs,if the elders disapproved us then it follwed we must be a bad association. We were devasted by our treatment,I felt as though the flesh had been stripped from my bones. The children stopped coming and finally we gave up ourselves and so for the last year we have sat here not talking about what we were all thinking about,but I hope thats coming to an end. So people,thank you for reading this at last I have got it out,I think I am starting to breathe again.
Yes, please breathe and relax. You and your family go out and find some fun stuff to do together. It's hard to learn how to make new connections after years of being in the cong. with ready-made associations, but you can do it.
You'll never regret your decision to leave that org., and your kids will be much happier in their lives because you did.
Welcome Fran ,
You have found a good place to land ,lots of great people on this board with familiar stories and listening ears . My husband and I walked away seven yrs ago . I was in from birth untill 44 . It was overwhelming at first ,but it gets Much ,much better !!!! Give yourself time to adjust and expect to go through some ups and downs ,and some major emotions That is all very normal .
Personal messages are sent by clicking on the envelope icon at the top right of this page . Sometimes to read a message you may have to go back and forth a few times before it opens ,but don't hesitate to get to know people more personally by private messages .
It took me about three good years to finally feel free from the Watchtower effects .Several times I just wanted to speak to another person that could relate so I have exchanged phone numbers with others on here . Do whatever you need to do to adjust to 'normal' life ,just realize it IS possible .
THere are days I find myself driving alone in my car just smiling because life is just so much more happier now ! The weight of 'doing more' is gone . The constant pressure of managing Witness life is done . Slowly we have made new friends that we stay busy with ,laugh and enjoy life with ,you will too .One of my new friends taught me to never turn down an invitation ,that is how you rebuild your circle of friends ,it works .
Good luck to you and your family ,looking forward to hearing more of your story .
Howdy Fran from Texas - and welcome to the forum - and life - don't be so frantic.
I hope that you stay a while, and also that you are doing okay. At first, it may seem difficult to make new friends, but we've all been there.
You'll do fine.
