Astronomy: Three Dates: A Young Witness

by Duncan 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Emma

  Thanks so much for posting this.

  Emma
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  Country Girl

  Excellent read, Duncan! Thanks for sharing those memories with us.

  CG
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  hillary_step

  Duncan,

  As ever you prove yourself a ranconteur extraordinare. We need one of these tales each week, they are even better than Yoga....lol

  As to the passage of time, you are correct, it passes with dizzing speed. In cosmic terms our lives are barely a heartbeat. Fifty is a transitional age, you either begin Phase II, or you begin to die, much of that rests in our own head.

  I hope that you have another good fifty ahead of you Duncan.

  Take care my old friend - HS
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  RunningMan

  It will never cease to amaze me. Witnesses have a remarkably short memory, and those who do remember, just don't seem to be able to connect the dots.

  My mother always used to say that she would never see the day when I went to school. Well, my son is now one year away from graduating. My mother doesn't remember making the remark, or at least, she denies it. My cousin vehemently denies that anyone ever said the end would come in 1975. But a few years ago, at his 25 anniversary party, he played a tape made by an older brother at his wedding. The brother had written a song, and one of the lines was "if you can make it through to 75, you can make it for a thousand years." These trips back in time are pretty informative. But, I guess it never happened.

  For those who do manage to remember, they just can't seem to figure out the significance. All these passed dates mean that they were wrong. It wasn't "truth", it was "error". It's still error.
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  Englishman

  Brilliant, young Duncan, it certainly brought some perspective to the false JW prophesies.

  I saw the '99 eclipse which was almost total in WSM. The air developed a definite chill and the light was of an ethereal quality for just a few minutes.

  Mike.
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  shotgun

  Thanks Duncan, great post and excellent rear view perspective of the dates we were never to reach.

  Congrats on have two boys as well..
• 

  True North

  Duncan,

  What a good, well told story -- a little bittersweet, of course, but well done.

  Say, is there a University or research facility in your area that's equipped with the right observational equipment for the transit? Maybe if you contacted them and told them about your childhood connection with E.A. Beet's book and what he said about looking forward to A.D. 2004, they'd let you and your boys come have a look on the big day.

  Thanks for sharing this with us.

  Best wishes,

  True North
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  Shutterbug

  Thank you so much for posting your story. I'm certainly happy it all turned out ok, except for the events you predicted may not have been as spectacular as expected. However, Haleys comet did show up as predicted and the eclipse did show up when predicted, while 1975 was a total bust. Best wishes, Bug
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  Duncan

  Dear all

  Thanks for your replies.

  City Fan - enjoy the eclipse in 2006.

  Hillary - maybe some time in the next 50 we'll actually get to meet up again. Take care.

  Running Man - yes, Witnesses do have a remarkably short memory. As kids we would say to our mum - "we don't want to go to the meeting - we wanna see Top of the Pops!" and she'd say - always - "Top of the Pops won't get you into the New World!"

  or - "we don't want to go in field service, Doctor Who's on the telly" and it would be: "Doctor Who won't get you into the New World!"

  It became such a catchphrase that even today at family get-togethers we joke about it.

  Yet, my mum can''t remember ever saying it.

  What can you say to that?

  Duncan.
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  toreador

  Very nice story Duncan! Thanks for posting!

  Toreador