An odd experience I had the other day...............

by nicolaou 21 Replies latest jw experiences

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  nicolaou

  My job took me to a residential part of town that I would never normally have any reason to go to. I had to go to a specific address. I found it quite easily and parked the car about twenty yards from the customers home.

  I had a sense of deja vu - but an unpleasant and rather disturbing one.

  I took a good look around me. I didn't know anyone who lived anywhere near here, I'd never been here before........had I? I walked up the street towards my appointment not being able to shake off this unsettling feeling that was really taking hold of me. What the hell did this street mean to me?!! Then it happened. The event had registered because I'd been with my wife at the time and even though it happened 3 years and 11 months ago it was a particularly upsetting time for both of us.

  I reached the house I was due to visit and, before knocking, I turned in the direction of my parked car and looked straight at a property on the other side of the road. That was it. That was the one. The last house I'd ever called at as a JW.
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  Sassy

  hmmm.. I interesting.... I am wondering if I can even remember that last place I called on in service..
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  darkuncle29

  That's interesting. I too can't remember mine.
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  Atilla

  I don't remember my last house I called on either, I guess repressed memory or something or more likely no one was home. I do know that I went from pioneering and getting 70 hours a month to like 2 hours a month and then none. I sure faded fast. I think this is one of the reasons I totally lost interest. Before I knew anything else about the so called truth, I did realize it was kind of pointless to go out in service just 10 hours a week. What's the point, you can't really convert anyone with just 10 hours a week. Hey, most pioneers can't convert anyone with even 70 hours a week.
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  wednesday

  Yes, I remember that laundramat well.

  kidding of course, that was a highly unusaul experience.
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  Double Edge

  That's just creepy

  I was just about to type the same thing.....
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  seattleniceguy

  Wow, that's an awesome experience. Not many people would get to experience something like that by simple coincidence.
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  simplesally

  My last time in service was doing Return Visits.
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  LittleToe

  I recall my last door, too.

  I went out on all my return visits (magazine route) and told them all that I was leaving the JW's the next day, and that the copy of the magazines I was leaving them had an especially dangerous article of Michael the Archangel

  I DA'ed the next morning.
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  nicolaou

  It isn't actually as 'creepy' as you might imagine. You see, by that point I'd already dropped to a token 1 or 2 hours a month on my field service report and even that was by going 'on the doors' with my wife who would offer the latest mags. I wouldn't go with anyone else. I simply couldn't present myself as a JW anymore as I had so many doubts.

  That particular week the CO was visiting our cong' and though I hadn't been out in weeks I agreed to go with my wife one more time for appearance sake ( it was important to her - I loved her then and I still love her now.) We were working territory that our group weren't usually assigned. Many of the brothers couldn't believe that I was actually out, there were many cold stares [hated it] and some hearty backslapping [hated that even more.]

  We'd been out for perhaps twenty minutes when I reached my limit. I couldn't stand the pretense and my own sense of hypocrisy any longer. We'd reached the end of a short row of terrraced houses which adjoined a small childrens play area typical of the sort you find in most New Towns. I turned to my wife and said something like; "That's it, I just can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." She didn't argue, she just said, "Let's go home."

  .

  .

  .

  As strange as it might sound, even at the time I remember feeling a sense of loss. I recognised that a big and, for so long, important part of my life had just come to an end. I was one of those who actually enjoyed going on Field Service - honest! I'd pioneered, done business territory, spoken in Public Schools - the lot. I was accutely aware of the house, the street, the play area and the trees. I knew that was it. You'd think that I would have felt relief but I didn't for a very long time. All I felt was loss.

  Sorry for the ramble, thanks for listening.