Time Gained by Leaving JW World

by Farmer Jim1 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  Farmer Jim1

  Does anyone else wonder at the amount of time a person immediately gains when they leave the JWs?

  Just today, a Sunday, I would have woken up at 7, frantically taken a highlighter pen to my WT to make it look like I had made a deep study of it. Packed my stuff for meeting and ministry, cycled to the KH, joined the pre meeting ministry arrangement, rushed back for the meeting, sat through a sometimes interesting public talk, sometimes mind-numbingly dull one, strained through a WT study to which I usually had more questions than answers. Forced some lunch down and rushed out on the afternoon ministry arrangement. Back to KH, get changed, cycle back home knackered and pretty sure that I hadn’t done anything worthwhile with my day until I got out in my garden for some garden- therapy.

  The social aspect of it was sometimes nice but all in all Sunday was 8 hours of wasted daylight.

  Now, a little lie in on a Sunday, a nice swim in the sea with friends. A little creative writing. Sunday lunch with friends. Sky sports galore! Even time to do some real good for people by supporting a real charity event locally.

  no regrets, no disturbing folks on their weekend, no WT indoctrination, no fake friends, no ‘doing it’ to be seen doing it. And that’s just the Sunday benefits of leaving JWs.
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  _Morpheus

  I have often thought no longer being an elder was getting 20-30 hours a week back. It was an unpaid job. Then as you mention all the running around for meetings as well.... it was rediculious but a purposeful hamster wheel to keep you from thinking too much
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  pale.emperor

  Yep! The time I gained back i spent learning new things. Lie ins on the weekend never get old
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  Giordano

  In my day at least 20 to 25 plus hours a week......... Five one hour meetings, two mornings of field service which was 2 hours each time. Prep time to shower, dress and travel to and from meetings and service. Prep time for some of the meetings like the WT study. talks or congregation responsibilities....... travel to Assemblies and Conventions each year.

  How valuable was all of this? Other then socializing...... which required being an acceptable member.......... there was nothing of value. The theology was like those Asian 'Shadow Plays' ,cut out figures, a light and a screen to keep the illusion alive. How sad.
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  btlc

  Fifteen years ago when I went inactive, I decided to spend same time and effort, once reserved for "theocratical things", to do something for myself, I finished my master degree on machinery easy, cum laude, got better job and salary, and I solved my existencial situation for good. Otherwise I would struggle in problems (like I was before) and would wait for the Armageddon to solve my problems.
  
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  hoser

  Over an average lifetime attending assemblies and conventions will cost you more than one year of your time.
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  Still Totally ADD

  Time to read what you want. Time to do projects for your benefit. Time to relax when you see the need. Time to go to a lecture anytime and day of the week. No more time wasted doing all the busy work of the Borg and worrying what time it is so you will not be late.

  Morpheus you are right no more time wasted being a elder. If the wt. paid the elders for all the work we did for them I figured at 20 hours a week times let's say $20 per hour that equals $400 times 52 weeks equals $20,800.00 per year. For me I served as a elder for 25 years and that equals $520,000 for my service to the Borg. I feel that is a conservative estimate. Boy that makes me sick just to thinking about it. Still Totally ADD
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  Sail Away

  When I was raising my two children alone (husband faded when they were toddlers) in the Lie, it was a solid 20+ hours a week for 20 years. This doesn't include the times I "temporary", "full-time" or "auxiliary" pioneered.
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  eyeuse2badub

  I call my time gained, "Living time". It's time that I can really live without FOG. Thanks goes out to the GB 2.0 for helping me see "the light"!

  just saying!
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  flipper

  Great thread Farmer Jim , thanks for posting it . Very well put. I was born into and raised a JW until I finally escaped over 15 years ago in 2003. Left at age 44 .Hoser's statement, " Over an average lifetime attending assemblies and conventions will cost you more than one year of your time. " I disagree with that, way too short of an estimate of how much time a person loses.

  Because EVERYTHING we did as JW's, waking up in the morning being forced from elder fathers to listen to the daily text, attending meetings constantly, field service several times a week, pioneering every day, doing the " personal study " or actually WT indoctrination study daily in our own homes - that took up ( aside from sleeping 8 hours a night ) virtually ALL of our time when we were not working on our jobs. I would venture to say a minimum of 30 % to 50% or 60 % of our waking hours were spent with our minds and activities being clogged up with WT cult activities.

  Some on the board over the years dwell on how much time we lost being trapped in the mind control cult Jehovah's Witnesses, yet it's nice to see a thread where the glass is looked at as half full, not half empty where we actually look at it as GAINING time by leaving the cult and being able to experience a vast variety of experiences in furthering our education, job opportunities, hobbies, playing music, doing sports activities, having closer unconditional friendships and relationships without being judged, the gains have far outweighed the disadvantages as far as I'm concerned. Kind of how I see it. Good thread, Peace out, Mr. Flipper