In John Cedar's (jwsurvey.org) latest excellent article on his blog about a US teacher that got reprimanded for trying to force a JW boy to salute the American flag, he relates a similar childhood experience where he was terribly humiliated at school in view of his classmates.
This reminded me of a similar humiliating experience I suffered at school, when I was 11 years old. During our school's end of year 'prom night' (not actually called that in the country I live) which was in the style of a disco night, my unbalanced JW mother came to pick me up early and stormed right into the hall and grabbed my arm and pulled me out in front of all my friends right in the middle of the dancing. On the way out she gave the teachers a lecture about the music being far too loud and how unwholesome the whole thing was for children of my age. All the kids had stopped dancing and gathered to watch this going on, while I stood there looking down wishing the earth would just open and swallow me up. Can you imagine how humiliated I felt? I remember being so livid with my mother (my father was never a JW) that, even at that young age, standing up to her and saying if she even did anything like that again I won't go to any more meetings. That really scared her and she never tried another stunt like that again. She did actually apologise to me many years later for it.
Did you experience anything similar? Please share your experience.
Here is John Cedar's experience from his blog:
I grew up as a Witness myself, and can remember only too well being involved in a similar incident with a teacher when I was only about seven years old.
On the day in question, my teacher asked my class to take part in coloring in a poster advertizing the school’s upcoming Christmas Fair. I knew instantly that I wasn’t allowed to do this as a Witness, and that my parents would be unhappy if I were to participate in something that promoted what I understood to be a pagan celebration.
When I respectfully told my teacher that I couldn’t do it, she stood me infront of the entire class saying, “[John] doesn’t want to help the school!” As punishment, I was made to stand outside in the winter by myself, in a courtyard overlooked by my schoolmates.
When I came home and told my parents, they were infuriated. They drove to the school to take the matter up with the teacher. I can’t remember whether an apology was given, but I certainly remember this story being proudly told countless times thereafter as an example of me standing up for my beliefs in the face of persecution.
