What is / was the first thing(s) you looked forward to doing once you were out for good?

SecretHeart11

One of the things that keeps me going is thinking about the things my family and I will be able to do once we are all out, together, and free at last. (And we WILL be out together, I'm staying positive!)

I soooo look forward to Christmas. Even as an all-in Witness I have always, ALWAYS loved Christmas. I am gonna celebrate Christmas. So. Friggin. Hard. I can picture my husband dressed up as Santa, having the kids come downstairs Christmas morning with all the awe and excitement and innocence and wonder that SHOULD accompany childhood. Having big family dinners with my non-JW family who I know will swoop in and help fill the void our JW family will leave.

Celebrate the all the holidays with the kids. The only one I have neutral feelings about is Halloween. It's never really appealed to me.

Vote! Although I have to admit, being raised with a "neutral stance" has made it hard for me to really care or follow a lot of political issues.

Make normal, meaningful friendships. What does an unconditional friend really feel like?

These are just a few of the superficial things I look forward to. What about you? What things did you do (if you're already out) or do you look forward to doing (if you're still in like me)?

quellycatface

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!! Sign along, if you wish.

I ALSO love Christmas and did secretly celebrate it, as my hubby wasn't a jw.I hated to marginalize my son as well.

I enjoy politics and current affairs.Like a good debate, so chatting about stuff like that at the KH is a no no.

Hope your exit comes quickly, in time for Xmas 2014.

X

LisaRose

Get divorced. It seems like an odd thing to look forward to, but there it is. When my ex husband moved out I happened to have a severe flu, fever, aches, the whole nine yards, in the recliner semi comatose. So he comes up to me and says "There are no clean towels!". I lifted my head up and looked at him, what did he expect me to do about it? I was getting divorced so I wouldn't have to deal with this. He doesn't have a clue and says "What will I dry myself off with tonight?" Can you believe a fifty year old man could be that childish? All because I tried to be the good JW wife, but that doesn't work if you picked wrong. That was my first marriage in a nutshell.

Happily remarried, together fourteen years, I learned my lesson.

Next favorite thing, Christmas. Finally I can enjoy it like everyone else, sweet.

Markw1509

What I looked forward to was the non-judgemental attitude I could at last foster.

i hated "having"to judge others. It felt so wrong to condemn other people because they didn't have my belief system. Just because they didn't believe what I did, they were going to die a horrible death by a vicious god.

And I thought that fundamental Muslim terrorists were shocking!!!

i now have peace of mind, out of the BITE control of a sect that I couldn't see at the time.

it's a very rich form of freedom.

I love my new life.It's like being born again without the religious ties.

JWdaughter

I still don't "celebrate" Christmas as a religious holiday, but I DO enjoy it now. I enjoy cranberry bliss bars at Starbucks, enjoy the carols, enjoy the seasonal stuff. If given gifts, I am grateful(no speech given about why I don't accept it on the "day" or at all. If invited to cookie exchanges or other gatherings I will go-and I am not a wet blanket on the whole enterprise. I will eat christmas candy BEFORE it goes on discount when the day is over. I will say Merry christmas and thank others who offer it to me, and when Starbucks takes down the Christmas decorations and I am told "Its probably the last red cup for the season" I'm sad.

So, I enjoy Christmas without putting up the tree and all-but I sure do enjoy everyone elses trees and lights and I'm nice to carolers (no WT handed out). I actually DO give gifts whenever I want to. It almost sounds JW-y, but my heart has changed so much towards other people that it isn't even recognizable as any part of my WT experience. What changed is my heart. I took all the self righteousness OUT of my not celebrating and in fact, I guess I am celebrating good feelings, good attitudes, good food and happy hearts. Which is probably that christmas spirit that I hear about:)

Honesty

Registered to vote.

Went to several churches to see if what the faithful slave said about them was true.

The slave lied.

CWstudy

1. I'd say being able to celebrate Christmas/Holidays was a big one.

2. Being able to go to Church if I want too

3. Voting

4. Knowing I would never again have to knock on strangers doors or sit through another boring talk, ministry school, watchtower study or assembly

5. Being able to experience true friendship

6. Reestablishing relationships with my DF'd family members

Decided

It's not what I look forward to doing but what I enjoyed not doing. Meetings, service, giving talks, looking after the KH, going to DC, WT conductor, service meeting arranging, home bible studies etc.

I really don't like Christmas and most of the holidays, too many birthdays to keep up with etc.

I just like living each day with wife and visiting my brother who is about the only relative left alive.

Ken P.

???What???

Sleeping in on the weekends!!!

NVR2L8

For me it is the freedom to make decisions without having to check "God's" point of view on the matter or worry about what will the "brothers" think. I was at a large business convention last week and I enjoyed the freedom to join clients in a cigar and liquor lounge. As me most of my clients are non smokers but they smoked a cigar and sipped on cognac. It was the first time for me and I don't plan to pick up smoking...but it felt great to do what I wanted without feeling guilt. I no longer feel guilt for using Saturday morning to wash the car or to go for a mortorcycle ride. I'm sure we all felt bad for stealing time from Jehovah because we chose to take a day off instead of going to the meeting...this feeling is now replaced by the joy of discovering and experiencing activities I had no time for or that were forbidden for a Christian.

What is / was the first thing(s) you looked forward to doing once you were out for good?

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