What was your dream?

by ashitaka 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  gumby

  What did I want to be?

  Being raised in the..truth...I never looked to far in the future to have a dream. During the time my dad kept us from going to meetings, I started pole vaulting in the back yard. I got good at it. During my freshman year in high school I joined the track team. I met another witness in metal shop and we became friends, and in time I was going to meetings with him behind my dads back.

  My friend and his mom convienced me that witnesess don't join school funtions. I quit the track team.

  I, like buffy, love to sing....oldies, country, some recent stuff. I never wanted to do it as a career however. I don't think I have had a dream.......since I quit the track team. I will be content if I can just live a happy life. Can't wait til that day comes.

  Edited by - Gumby on 18 June 2002 9:10:36
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  NeonMadman

  Before I became a JW, i attended the Seventh-day Adventist church for a while as a young teen. I was very impressed by an evangelist in that church, and thought I would like to become a minister. After studying with the JW's, of course, I learned that the only true ministry was peddling literature from door to door, and that man's education didn't mean anything, and that the truth was hidden from the 'wise and intellectual ones', etc.

  Now I'm 50, and trying to determine a future career path. I really don't find much satisfaction in what I do (sales), and the dream of being in a ministry is still there. I'm currently finishing an Associate's degree in business administration that I only need a few more courses to complete; I should be done within a year. After that, I'm seriously considering pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies, whether by distance learning or whatever. I'm exploring options in that area as we speak. After I see how that goes, I'll think about seminary. I'm not sure how much I can accomplish at my age with extensive education still needed before I could be ordained, but even getting the education would be a positive experience for me, and it's what the JW's took away from me. So, for the moment, that's what I'm going after.
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  RN

  Dreams?? Growing up a JW and being a girl, I was never expected to be much. School was a necessary evil and I was expected to do my best, but I was never encouraged to excel. I was the classic underachiever. I took vocational education courses, (they were practical) and expected that I would graduate and work at some type of clerical job, get married and have children. You know, be a good dub. I thought that teaching or working in the medical field would be interesting, but figured I wasn't smart enough to complete any of the higher level schooling I would need to work in any of the related fields. Besides college was a no-no. So what was the point of dwelling on it.

  Well, I did exactly what was expected of me. I worked at clerical/secreterial jobs, got married and had children. Then the unthinkable happened. My son was diagnosed with lymphoma and two days later, ataxia-telangiectasia ( a rare genetic disorder). Kids with AT usually live into their late teens/early twenties, but they are sick kids. I enrolled in community college with the intent of applying to Nursing School, 9 months after his diagnosis. My son was going to need long term care and I wanted the knowledge base and skill set needed to provide it. (I am, if nothing else, practical.) Unfortunately, he died before I entered the nursing program but I continued on. My husband and I basically said "up yours" to anyone in the congregation who dared question what I was doing.

  Ten years ago this July, I sat for the Nursing Boards. I love the work that I do, it is both professionally and personally fulfilling. So I guess I got to fulfill a dream that I didn't even know I had.

  Lisa-- having your RN will open up a lot more opportunities for you--if you want it go for it.

  For everyone else--the only time it's too late to go for what you want is when your dead. You only get one shot at this life, make the best of it.

  Lori
• 

  joannadandy

  Which dream when?

  When I was five I was going to be a ballarina, and a waitress...I dunno how I came up with that combo, but apparantly Vegas was calling to me?

  When I was 10-15 I wanted to be a zoologist and work with tigers.

  I still toyed with that idea for years after that, but at about 15, teacher seemed more realistic.

  I don't know that I buy into the crap that the organization held us back from things. I mean yes to a certain extent, but we are out now, so do what makes you happy. Where there is a will there is a way. I wanted to act in high school, so I did. I know it ticked off some dubs, but others applauded my efforts and came to the plays. I do know some families were a lot more strict than others, and for some the org had a lot stronger hold on them, and it had a strong hold on me too, but I knew what I wanted, and I knew I would find loopholes to get what I wanted, and I did...blank stares, and gossip behind my back be damned.
• 

  zev

  Did being a Witness hurt, hamper, or help your dreams?

  hurt. never got to do what i really wanted to do.

  Did you want to be a dancer? An actor? A mother?

  Major league baseball player.

  Did you lose your dreams being a Witness?

  yes. because i was "raised" that way, i wasn't allowed to join little league or after school sports, which would have led to fullfilling that dream. can't blame mom and dad for that one, that was what the "leaders" wanted, to keep us "in" and under control.

  Did you ever get them back and accomplish them,

  not at my age. in this case, there is no way.

  or did they change into something else?
• 

  Oroborus21

  Well although I was raised in a JW household and my folks and most family have been in the Truth for a long long time, I was always allowed to make my own choices (or at least I made them anyway).

  So in terms of growing up I did everything that I wanted to do: extracurricular sports, activities, clubs, prom, etc...no dreams deferred there....

  then in graduating high school in 1989 I went straight to college far-far away (at least in terms of the difference between a small town New Mexico life) to Los Angeles....so again I have done what I wanted to and being a JW had no effect....

  In all this time I never had a desire to smoke, do drugs, etc. (and I have never had a drink for a different reason though)...and in part this was do to my JW upbringing and in bigger part because I considered most of this stuff very foolish....

  The only thing that up to that point being a JW (caused me to miss out on) (or if you want "dreams" that I missed out on) is all the sex that I could have had and the "missed opportunities" due to my adhering to bible morals. (Probably, well perhaps definitely, today I might have not missed out on those if I were to do it all again.)

  As for dreams yet to be realized there are so many and I have many irons in the fire. I have never believed in being just "one thing" so that outlooks guides my future endeavours. One thing I have always wanted to do is to write and do some now and before but I hope to one day have myself in a financial situation where I could just have a writer's life full-time. I don't see that being a JW or not will have any impact on that dream, although lately (the past 5 years) or so I realized that some of my future writings will have to do with being a JW and the org. I have been working on the beginnings of one book already and more recently, I have thought about putting out there some legal writing/research pertaining to the Org. and being a JW or ex-JW for others to consider.

  --Eduardo
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  butalbee

  JW's pretty much turned my dream into a nightmare. And I couldn't wake up........
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  joelbear

  My dream was to become a math professor and discover something new and when the nobel prize.

  Well, I ain't gonna win the nobel prize but hopefully in a few years I will get to finally become a Math professor, if my mental health stays stable enough.

  Endtime thinking and the pressure asserted by my congregation, peers and parents kept me out of college after high school. Self doubt and fear kept me from pursuing my dream for the next 25 years. Now, we'll see if I make it.

  Joel
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  LyinEyes

  Being raised a JW, you were supposed to DREAM of being a pioneer , if you were a girl. If you were a young boy, you at least got to dream of greener pastures... Bethel. In high school, I was taken under the wing of my art teacher, she thought I had talent, and even a flare for commercial art. She encourage me to reach out for this and she would help me to do so. I will never forget the well planned out speech I gave her on devoting my life in the field service, blah blah blah. All the while I was saying this I had to fight the lump in my throat and the pain in my heart. I was also involved in Journalism and took pictures for the school paper. I had to stop that because the football games which I was to cover, took place on meeting nights. Oh well, another dreams smashed. Later I got involved in a local horse back riding club. We did rodeos and I was a very good barrel racer.I started to win ribbons , jackpots and trophies. I was even the queen of the riding club for a little while... Yeah you guessed it ,, another dream smashed , crushed along with my heart and I just stopped trying after all of that. Thanks to the C.O. , that came around just to take the life out of us, he told my Dad that we could be using that time to futher our field ministry. I hated that idiot. Like I said , I gave up on trying to dream of being anything I wanted to be anymore. I just did what I was told, this continued for my husband and me for the last 17 years. If we dared to venture out to try something new , it was quickly extenquished, like a burning fire. BTW he wanted to be a fireman, and was at the top of the list to start training. But somehow he ended up pioneering. My heart breaks for him , for myself, for all those who had a dream and had it snatched away. How cruel. Now I am telling my kids they can be anything , ANYTHING , their hearts desire.