First, thanks to all of you for your experiences, and replies, and for the tremendous amount of hits the site has received [842 as of this morning-in just over 72 hours.]--- now thats spreading the "truth" (TM) isn't it?
THE THREAD IS HERE : http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=35808&site=3
THE SITE CONTAINING THE AUDIO IS HERE: http://hometown.aol.com/haroldev3/myhomepage/profile.html
We actually made 3 visits [we meaning Gwen and I]. The first was a bone up on my part, I messed up the dates and we ended up going a week early. As if going wasn't bad enough, we went on the wrong week! You have to laugh. I know I did, par for the course.
The first week we went, we sat in the car for a few just down the street from our chosen place of "worship" [:-D] gathering our nerve, and planning strategies in case we were "love bombed", we proceeded to walk in. dressed in our finest blue jeans we looked the part, a couple of interested people walking in off the street to check out "jehover's organization" (i just cannot resist)
As we approached the door, the dreaded feeling came over me. Yes, I was nervous. But the feeling that developed over me as we approached the door was that same old horrible feeling of anxiety I have had for years whenever I walked into one of those places. I actually had to take deep breaths and gain control. This was too important to go running like a scared chicken. I had chosen very carefully where we were going, and hoping that with all the years I have been in (40) I wouldn't recognize anyone, and they hopefully would not recognize me. I am disassociated, so going in as "interested ones, being recognized would have severely dampened our "plan". Well, we were seated, by a nice young man, and a woman in front of us handed us an august km, she said she had an extra one. I scanned it really quickly, leaned over to Gwen and said, OMG, we're here on the WRONG NIGHT!
Well that being the case, we stayed for a few minutes...and I discretely gazed around. Looking at the people for a sign of recognition. Gwen leaned over and asked if I saw anyone I knew. Nope, the coast was clear. (Relief)
Short lived!
Looking to my left, I saw two people whose profiles were unmistakable. Damn! They are my parents neighbors, and not only would they KNOW me, if they saw me, they probably know I am da'ed. "Lets get outa here, I said to Gwen.
We got up and walked out. Followed to the door by the attendant, but he said nothing to us, we left quietly, without allot of love bombing.
There are two congregations meeting at this hall, so I planned the next week to attack, ah-hem, attend, the other one the next week.
This two-week ordeal went off with out a hitch, except for the high anxiety I felt, and I know Gwen could see it. She offered many times to go it alone and do it, but I was bound and determined to overcome. And I did it.
I wanted and needed to do it for my own reasons, my own sense of victory. And to gather the evidence.
The only interaction we experienced was the guy who love bombed us at the end of the first week. His love bombing attack can be found here:
http://hometown.aol.com/haroldev3/myhomepage/profile.html
Click on:
Gwen and Harold get attacked at the door as they leave the meeting after part one, and are encouraged to "return".
At the end of the second and last meeting, we left again, as in the previous cases as they stood to sing, this time no one followed us, and no one seemed to care.
I had told Gwen before when we were planning this, that no one would stop us, if we walked in as a couple of interested people, with a bible in our hands. Thats what happened too. I told her that the bible she was using would send a message, mine is new, hardly used, and hers shows that she reads it. Neither were jw bibles, an especially important tool to fool jw's with under these circumstances.
So...now you have the whole story.
Survival of the fittest, and prepared.
We were both.
Lesson? Always prepare ahead for your meeting attendance
I want to thank Gwen. She gave me the strength to do this, the support, and kept me calm through it. She even hid the mic with her big bible when I was so fidgety I had unknowingly exposed it.
(((((Gwen)))))
Thank you Gwen.
You are the best!
I hope exposing this cult, bringing to you the actual coverage of this km part, the comments made by the audience, and the attitudes and reflection of the "societies" commands and rules helps all of you understand whats going on with your families, and subsequent reactions from them. maybe information covered can help you set them free. If anything we have done helps in even a small way, then it was well worth it. and i am very glad to have been a part of it.
your fellow poster, now free of the cult,
Harold