Just wanted to update you guys of the amazing couple of weeks i've had in recovering from the cult.
I was attending the meetings still just so i could see my daughter in the Kingdom Hall and have her sit we me half the time. I had no intention of ever becoming a JW again but was hoping to be re-instated and just not turn up ever again so i could at least see my family. But then an elder said something to me that changed all that. He was trying to be hard-ball with me with the idea that it'd make me "man up" and return to Jehovah - little did he know he actually helped speed up my recovery from the bOrg more than anything.
At convention time a few weeks ago my ex-wife went with her family and of course our 2yo daughter. On the Sunday our daughter suddenly became very ill and was vomiting constantly and becoming distressed. The "first aid" people didn't know what to do (why would they? non of them have been to college have they?) so my daughter was sent to hospital to be examined. Turns out she'd found a bottle of day old milk that has been festering in a plastic bag and drank it. (Im not gonna go into how irresponsible her mother was for not watching her closely enough).
Anyway. This happened on the Sunday - i wasn't told about it until TUESDAY. So annoyed i rang an elder in my old congregation who took my wife and daughter to the hospital asking why i wasnt informed. His reply: "We were concerned that you would turn up to the convention arena and in trying to help you would talk to JW's".
Anyway. After a long discussion about what Jehovah wants and what selfish Pale.Emperor wants we ended the discussion. He finished by saying "As JW's we have a loving family-like relationship which you're no longer a part of. Dont you wish you could come back into this loving family?"
And my answer was so easy... no.
No i dont wish to be part of some wierd family relationship where we all have to agree on the same thing in order to be part of that family. To be loved on the basis that i have the same religion and the same opinions as everyone else. Hell, i'd rather my family and friends have different thoughts and interpretations - that way we can have some great insightful and reflective conversations over dinner, around a fire or on walks and at the end of it all still be friends.
The support off you guys on here has been phenomenal. John Cedars YouTube videos have been informative and highly entertaining at time too.
So... i stopped attending meetings and spent my Thursdays and Sundays doing something more worthwhile. I've met a wonderful woman who likes me just the way i am and hasn't made me feel like i should be doing more, reaching out for some sort of "privilege", nor do we ask someone elses permission before we make decisions. It was so nice to get with someone without religion being the reason you get together. I spent my Sunday in hers chilling out and laughing.
I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm 100% out of the WT society and i'll never look back. Sure, i have no family but i accept that the way it is and im determined to be a good guy and deal with whatever life throws at me without relying on a future cataclysm to come and wipe out people who disagree with me.