Greetings from an anonymous convention city.

sd-7

Greetings from a not-so-anonymous convention city (see my thread on Convention Time) as well. Also, love the name, LOL!

--sd-7

Sorry about the double post. I'm away on business staying in a convention city. Had a witness citing at my hotel which is kind of surprising since it's a little upscale not the usual dump (read Quality Inn, Day's Inn, Clarion etc.) First couple I saw was retirement age, a little on the hefty side, badges in full view unloading their car. I caught a glimpse of their luggage which contained maybe half dozen bottles of wine. No doubt partying after 8 hours of mind numbing propaganda.

Couple number two I would bet were pioneers. Driving a rusted out Subaru station wagon. Both looked absolutely disgusted with each other as they harriedly unloaded their luggage. Did I mention that it was at least 100 degrees? Brother pioneer in spite of the heat was wearing a full very mussed looking suit. I know you get the picture after having attended a few conventions yourselves.

It reminded me though, that such outings are absolute bullshit. I remember vividly from the time I was a child that both my parents and siblings could hardly wait for the program to be over. All day long you'd sit in a hot overcrowded stadium in chairs that were meant for a three hour baseball game at most. At least at a ball game you could wear shorts and a T shirt and drink beer and eat hot dogs. At an assembly you got up a zero dark thirty and waited at the gate to save a seat that wasn't in the blazing sun, praying to a god that doesn't exist that hopefully no one would steal your seats.

Then, six hours later you could eat a lukewarm sandwich and walk aimlessly around for two hours "fellowshipping." The highlight of the afternoon would be a thunderstorm that would immediatley be followed by full sunshine rendering the entire venue a gigantic Turkish bath. No wonder the wits are raging alkies. After a day like that, I drank myself into oblivion on more than one occasion. Why why why?

The best part of the whole convention starts months before the actual date. You kill yourself to get to the TMS/Service Meeting in order to spend the entire evening being told how to make a hotel reservation and what to pack for lunch.

I was thinking about the couples I saw last night and was really feeling sorry for them. I was just like them once ago. Today I wonder how could I be so fooled. I wondered how many are putting themselves through such useless agony? Then I remembered a saying from my Dad. "If you're dumb you gotta be tough."

Mum

"If you're dumb, you gotta be tough." Thanks for that, ctrwtf. That's the wisest statement I've heard in a while.

My sympathies to all convention attendees,

Mum

rmt1

I doubt present JW conventioners experience as much dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins as before 2000. It's clear as day that 13 years since then is going to be 14 years since then. Then you got yer 15 years since then, and pretty soon, it's 20 years since 2000, and what have you got? It's murder in slow motion. oooooo I recommend Marooned in Realtime (Vernor Vinge, 1986)

DesirousOfChange

Today I wonder how could I be so fooled?

I ponder that thought every conscious moment!

Doc

flipper

The conventions were awful/ I hated them as much as I hated field service. Sitting there as a young boy at Dodger Stadium for 8 hours straight was tanamount to child abuse. I can only imagine how hard it was for 90 year old JW's, especially in the heat. My only high spot as a kid was waiting for the lunch break to get a purple flavored snow cone they used to sell. It was utterly ridiculous.

As I got older and they had more District conventions indoors- I'd just go to sleep after the lunch break and seep through the first hour and a half or two hours of the afternoon session. It's called " survival mode "- bored stiff

TotallyADD

Amen flipper to that. Altanta 1969. Each day temp. close to 100 degrees almost everyday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for 6 or 7 days. By 3 p.m. every afternoon thunder storms with lightling by 4 p.m. steam bath. All 50,000 plus sitting in a big bowl getting heat posion. Because of the large crowd Altanta had a ice shortage that week. I remember standing in line for lunch and just as I came up to the window to get something they would close the window for the afternoon session to start. That was the convention from hell. After the convention was over we spent a week in bed from heat exposure. The Wt. was out of their mind for having a outdoor convention in Altanta in middle of July. And of course all I remember from it was the heat from hell. Totally ADD

Jeannette

Seems like the GB then weren't concerned for the rank and file's health or well-being, and they aren't now. But, thankfully, the days for attendance have been shortened and they are indoors. Praise Jah for that.

jookbeard

must be close to 20 years since I've been to one, being burnt to crisp or pissed on for days at a time cant be much fun these days

Greetings from an anonymous convention city.

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