a part of ourselves we neglected

rodnico

My mother is coming to visit me next week. I haven't seen her for over 4 years. She thinks that somehow I am a completely different person since leaving the organization. She says things like "you still do that?" "You still like that?". To her maybe I am another (dead) person, but to me I am fundamentally the same. I have the same likes, dislikes, & prejudices. But what has changed is the fact that I no longer wait for the New Order to accomplish goals. Instead of saying I can't wait until the new system to do blah blah blah....Now I say I will do blah blah blah today or tomorrow or next year, but in MY life time.

So this brings me to a thought what did you say you would do in the New System only to realize it was something you wanted to do now? All of us were denied a reasonable education so something more on a personal level.

I love Irises. I would say in the new system I am going to plant a garden of Irises, tend to them, cross pollinate them, and watch them grow in all the beauty of spring. Last fall I planted my first bulbs in my own garden in this wonderful lifetime.

Wounded Heart

i think you are exactly right. my "in the new system" things are all about being physically healed. youve given me alot to think about. now that im no longer a jw what does that leave me? no hope. thats part of what my reaction is. the other part is that i will just have to learn to deal with the limitations tho that is hard.

'Just let go. Let go of how you thought your life should be, and embrace the life that is trying to work its way into your consciousness.' (posted by Stephenw20)

God, we ask not that you move the mountains,
but that You give us the strength to climb.

thank you for your post!!!

Wounded Heart

Love by giving to & accepting others unconditionally = true, pure love

RedhorseWoman

I always wanted to have animals in the New System....especially a horse. I now have three. I also have done some rescue work with three feral cats that showed up half-starved at my door.

I took flute lessons. I read the books that were banned by the WTBTS....like religious philosophy, Stephen KIng, Anne Rice, et al. I've started my gardens...lots of irises, and herbs, and whatever takes my fancy.

pamkw

I have always wanted to learn to play an instrument. I haven't yet, but someday I will. I enjoy watching any tive show I want. I like loud music, and dirty jokes. And most of all I like making my own decisions. Not having to ask anyone's permission for what I do.

Pam

COMF

These aren't things I used to say I would do in the new order, but they're things I wouldn't do in this system due to misinformation and misguided loyalties:

Went to college, got a degree
Started playing in a band (again, after quitting when I became a witness)
Developed an appreciation for art, bought some prints I like (Bev Doolittle)
Started reading literature classics
Embarked on a course of self-appraisal and improvement
Got a decent job
Started living instead of existing

COMF

nojw86

whooo whoooo. I love irisis also, and mine are starting to come up, so beautiful arent they, I did my new order planting early just to give an idea

Wounded Heart

COMF love that last one....started living instead of existing. im just learning to do that recently. things are much better when i try to live...but the desire to just exist does have a strong pull. esp since there is so much i need to do and go thru in order to start/continue to live.

Wounded Heart

Love by giving to & accepting others unconditionally = true, pure love

thinkers wife

When I was little, I just wanted to grow up and marry a wonderful man and have lot's of kids. I tried to do things the Socities way and it was awful.
Now I am married to a wonderful man who was never a JW. A little late for kids, but I have a great step-daughter.
I am with Comf. Living not existing. It is a wonderful feeling!!
Welcome to all the new one's.
TW

trevor

rodnico,
Throughout my whole youth, anything I wanted to do was
met with the same response. I was told ' there will be time
for that in the new world.'

When I was 29 I had still not been abroad, even with the school,
that would have been 'bad association.'

Now I travel abroad regularly. Got to see some cultures before they
are all destroyed to make way for the screaching classes.

Thirdson

Like Trevor I wanted to travel, see new places and experience the adventure. I wanted to go on an overland trek across Africa but a 3 month expedition was out of the question. I gave up sky-diving after no more than a dozen jumps because it was "lacking respect for human life." I wanted a home of my own on a decent plot of land, I wanted to go west and seek a new life to live.

I started seeking some things while I was still a JW (I bathed nude on a beach on the Black Sea while I was still in.) I took some work assignments overseas (US, Canada and some European trips) I received some education, I retrained and I relocated. Along the way I got divorced (not exactly my choice) but found someone wonderful and remarried (my choice). I live in the "New World", went west to seek my fortune, (became materialistic according to my mom) fate and my home on a decent plot of land amongst the 10,000 lakes.

I still travel but haven't reached Africa yet. I may yet visit Australia in the next 2 years (Mrs. Thirdson and I both lived there a short while when kids.)

Life is to be lived and the one I have now may be the only one I'll ever have. I might as well enjoy it.

Thirdson

PS My brother, the JW elder's two sons recently completed a six month trip to the Indian sub-continent. How times change!

'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'

a part of ourselves we neglected

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