HI Freddo,
I know you said you were 'daft' and 'crazy' to get baptised the year following 1975, and you will no doubt always metaphorically kick yourself in the head for it, but go easy on yourself.
Probably the most important lesson I have learned about JWs is that contrary to the perception of most of the public and certainly myself in my pre-JWN days, in fact cult members are very often highly intelligent. I have seen that bright people are attracted to the complexity of the apparently seamless logic of the teachings, and indoctrination and mind control does the rest.
Also from what I have read on this site, being socially inept as a teen is fairly par for the course for JWs. Glad you eventually escaped!
You enquired about the story of the young girl I first posted about who was being indoctrinated. Fortunately it has a happy ending and is a JWN success story.
Thanks to the advice of people on this site and the huge practical help of one member in particular, my friend was 'rescued' just in time before she was to be baptised. The poster emailed me regularly with advice on how to talk to her and eventually met my friend when she was at a low point. I have a recording of the elders telling her that if she had been in Israel she would have been stoned for something she did.
Seeing her parents' heartfelt thanks being given to my new apostate friend when they had their daughter back was a great moment. She posted on here afterwards as Blooming Marvellous.
She is now married with an 11 month old baby and she is completely deprogrammed from JW input. She is also still a Brownie leader helping to run a Unit and involved with other community activities in our village.
