So, whats the straw that broke the camels back in your life? What was the FINAL LAST straw that made you say THATS IT- NO MORE? I have so many-for 15 years I kept getting that last straw-and trying to ignore it- but I think the last straw was when my dad died- everyone kept (KEEPS) giving me the line of BS about never seeing him again unless I go to meetings. One aunt says "Dont you love your dad?" My mom always says "Just come to the meeting. Even if you don't listen, the association is good, those people love you, and then someday maybe you'll hear SOMETHING that will change your life" Oh mother, I DID hear something that changed my life, but it wasn't at the KH! Whats your "Straw?"
Straw that broke the Camels Back
by Perfection Seeker 31 Replies latest jw experiences
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Farkel
: Whats your "Straw?"
How many hours of spare time to you have?
Farkel
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SYN
Going out on my last round of field service! That was it! Couldn't stand it anymore after that!
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Perfection Seeker
Farkel- I have plenty of hours to listen & read your posts- since I don't have service or meetings to go to :-) I take it your straw is a big one? LOL
Edited by - perfection seeker on 30 June 2002 10:9:31
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SpiderMonkey
After I got booted from Bethel, I returned to my hometown of New Orleans... Was in my childhood cong again, for about the next year, trying to "become strong in the truth," this time without reaching out for any big responsibilities - I just wanted to be Joe Publisher for awhile, and be happy. Gradually I started to, ahem, NOT feel any better, & to realize that this was the case, & finally got to the point of allowing my mind to voice its doubts in sentence form (you know what I mean? rather than just a sick, depressive feeling, I started looking at my feelings & their logical causes).
One Sunday, on the way home from the WT study, the actual "epiphany" set in: Being a Jehovah's Witness was not good for me! But indoctrination runs deep, so when I got home I prayed to Jehovah, telling him all my doubts, all my bad feelings, telling him I didn't want to do these things Witnesses do, that I didn't even know if it was right, etc. So I prayed that, if all this was really true, and if it mattered to him whether I lived or died, to change my heart (I seem to recall David praying this way in a Psalm) so that I would view things correctly. I also prayed for a sign (I know you're not "supposed" to do this, but who the hell are a few humans to tell me what God will or won't do? I reasoned that my all-powerful, perfectly loving God would grant me this *very* small request, since the stakes would literally be my faith and my life); I prayed that, if it was all true and I was meant to continue in it, would an elder please call me on the phone w/in the next 5 minutes. Needless to say, no dice.
That wasn't the last straw, though; for 2 weeks I was completely inactive. I informed my mother and a couple of elders that I was leaving but didn't DA myself. And then one elder who was always the most ridiculously pompous ass called me (about 2 weeks 2 late, LOL) and said "Michael, this situation is just intolerable! Your being inactive is affecting others in the congregation! ' We ' have got to do something to get you back to the KH!" THIS was the last straw. I replied, "Jerry, let me make this really easy on both of us. Last night I smoked marijuana [this was true! Rolling Stones concert, first time I ever smoked weed
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Perfection Seeker
Spider Monkey- if we were "allowed" (lol) to have idols- you'd be mine :-) I can't tell you how many times I wanted to say something like that to an elder- but always played the good little girl. Bet that felt SOOOOOOOOOOO good telling the elder that! :-)
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Dismembered
No straw for me. More like "Theocratic" Bullshit bails of hay. You could feed a herd of holsteins
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SpiderMonkey
Seeker, I can honestly say that it made me feel warm & fuzzy all over!
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CC Ryder
My wife and I both drew the same straw together....she was going thru a very hard time in her life and was dealing with her fathers suicide, her mothers battle against cancer, her abusive life with two previous marrages and a childhood in the Borg....ect...they said that we needed to come to a committee meeting because accusations were made against her and that I needed to be with her....I told two of them one day in front of our apartment that she was not emotionally capable of a committee meeting at this time...and that she was under a doctors care and needed time to get herself back together ...I tried to reason with them to allow me to take care of her and told them it was taking all we had to cope with this private family matter....Just to give us some time...NO DICE....two days later they gave me an ultimatum...be at the KH at 7:00pm or the "Cong" would consider us both Dis-associating ourselves)....I never showed at the KH....best thing we ever did....we do however regret not contacting a lawyer and going out with a bigger bang...but were out....were happy...and will never go back!!!
CC Ryder
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crawdad2
the straw came when i stuck with the same congregation for 10 years,,,,,,getting really involved in service......... i got to see exactly how corrupt the P.O. was, (a pioneer elder) ....... and i mean corrupt.......... and all the other elders were afraid of him, and did his will during committe meetings........... he even had the C.O. and the D.O. to shut everyone up, no matter what he was accused of........ i saw him do all the things that people like swaggart and baker do....... and he was always promoted higher and higher.................... i was always reminded to wait on jehovah, and keep my mouth shut, or i would be reproved.......... i finally realized the gov body was just like him.