Do Your Neighbors Think You're Nuts?

by prophecor 31 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  prophecor

  Do you socialize with your neighbors?

  Everyone knows how we as a religious group only socialized with each other, then when inside the hall, we only associated with a select few, those who were deemed worthy of our association.

  Now that you are out, or in varying degrees of staying within the borg, are you allowing yourself to get out and mingle amongst those in your community? Do you allow yourself to socialize with your neighbors? Do you still feel you have to keep the real world at bay, at a comfortable distance, or have you actually dropped your defenses and found the beauty that exist in people, who live right on your own street, in many instances, right next door to you?

  Do your neighbors think you're crazy because you don't socialize other than the traditional hi and bye?
• 

  doogie

  Do your neighbors think you're crazy because you don't socialize other than the traditional hi and bye?

  i don't think so...but all my neighbors are crackheads and hookers. (i'm really poor)
• 

  HappyDad

  I'm sure my neighbors thought I was nuts for many years. We only had small chit-chat all that time. They all knew we were JW's.

  When my wife was on her deathbed, I got to be closer to my neighbors because they were the only ones who DAILY came to check on things and to help take care of her. They brought food and sat for hours when I had to go to work. Not so by any JW's I was associated with.

  Now I am friendly with everyone on street because I've come out of my JW shell and have told them so. They all know that I have nothing to do with the JW's anymore. I can't believe the respect I get......maybe because I now give respect in an unconditional way.

  There isn't a constant socializing, but I have been invited to a few gatherings. My neighbors are not big on cookouts or parties, but a few have family gettogethers. The one I went to the other year was for my neighbor who got called up in the Army reserves to go overseas. Sure glad he came home safe!

  HappyDad
• 

  whyamihere

  Neighbors, work mates, friends, people walking by! Everyone! Didn't matter if I was a JW!

  I am crazy(in a funny way). However, people laugh and think I am entertaining.

  Brooke(better than cable)
• 

  kls

  However, people laugh and think I am entertaining.

  Whyamihere ,,,,,,at least that is what they say to you're face,,,,,,,,,lol
• 

  the_classicist

  I don't have neighbours, I'm surrounded by businesses. For example: on my left is a car repair place, on my right a granite place, and to my front is a consmetics supply place. Of course left of the car repair place is a carpet store and left of that is another house. (It's an area that was once residential, but now turning commercial/industrial, at least it did that in the 70/80's then stopped.)
• 

  upside/down

  They don't think.... THEY KNOW!

  u/d
• 

  mkr32208

  Yes they do but not for the reason your thinking of... My neighbors think of me as the crazy cop who will shoot the deranged raccoons that infest our neighborhood... well I hope they don't think I'm crazy but who knows! I'm also not a cop I'm in corrections (hopefully will be a cop soon) but they dont' seem to get the distinction!
• 

  love11

  One of my neighbors thinks we're worldly. They're strict Baptist. Those crazy long skirt wearing, no makeup, bonnet wearing people!

  My other neighbor kept wanting to come over and bother me so I told her I was a pagan/witch, that took care of her!

  But really... most of my neighbors are really nice to me and the kids play at each others house all the time. It's still weird for me to make friends with other ladies. But right now I'm just content being me.
• 

  prophecor

  Thanks all for your responses. I've allowed myself to be known by one of my neighbors. I look to him when it is I need a hand sometimes. I've had the tendency to try to hard when dealing with others, for instance, giving a neighbor 3 three cigarettes when they only asked for one, you know they're gonna be fiending for one later so I try to supply that need as well. I don't smoke anymore though, not in over 3 years so we don't have that in common anymore. Boy, cigarettes are such a uniting bond. Those ones that still smoke, we have not much in common anymore.

  The only other one, we'll share time, as well as huge sections of our lives, what's going on in them, and occasionally, a glass of rum or Jack Daniels. Even without the occasional drink, we would still find room to share. He's like an older brother, of sorts. I'm 46 & he's 53. He's watched my struggle in life for nearly ten years. Others who were on the block as couples are no longer together and time has seemed to answer publicly the witness that somehow, I am OK. I'm still married, and I'm still standing.