I was'nt stumbled by anyone, but many apparently were stumbled by me because I got drunk at a company picnic where many witnesses worked, including one of our congregation elders. The young brothers we took along on this gathering were like two spies ready to get me into big shite. One brother who was underage wanted some beer to drink and I told him is he allowed to drink at home as his father was also an elder in our cong. my friend said yes he is allowed alcohol so I got up and got two bottles of beer. I put in his water gun the one bottle of beer, He thought is was fantastic. I know he never told his father that he had beer at the picnic because he knew he would be in big trouble. But hey it was okay to accuse me. Any way a few nights after this company picnic I recieved a telephone call from the PO and he said he wanted to talk to me and if it was okay if he and another elder came over to our house. I told him sure.
I knew why they were comming because I knew I drank alot, but I wasn't really enibraited. So the elders say to me, " Terry we here that you were at a company picnic and you took your family and two other brothers in the hall also came in their own car to t his picnic. The said that you were drunk and in fact one of them accused you of drinking 18 bottles of beer and at one point was seen taking two bottles of beer at one time." I said yes. and they said "these are serious accusations". I told them in my own opinion that I was not drunk. This was an ongoing issue with my father who lived next door to me and would accuse me of fraternizing with our neighhbours and having alcohol with them and coming home drunk. I told the brothers that was a lie and I said my father has it in for me because he doesn't like the idea of me drinking with worldly persons and i wasn't setting a good example as a JW. In the meantime I was the only JW that my neighbours listened to because they thought I was a wonderful neighbour. And most of them didn't even like my parents or other witnesses because they were so pushy.
So at any time when I was indulging in drink I was always being accused of being drunk even when I wasn't . So these two visiting elders felt that I had to be more care ful in the future.
Then a few weeks later we attended a wedding the overseers daughter was getting married. Any way it was a great wedding and I was having fun and I drank but never in any way was I drunk. Even when I left the wedding I spoke with several elders including the elder who came to my home. They all knew I wasn't drunk. A few nights later a brother who drove me back to my car at our kingdom hall the night of that wedding. The wedding was at another place, anyways this brother who took me to my car, waited for me to drive out ofthe parking lot and then he followed me for along time. He said that he felt I was drunk because I was driving to close to the ditch, I told this brother in no uncertain terms was I was n't drunk but that the head lamp on my car was burnt out and I was driving close to the ditch so I would n't be in any accident. Then he started saying all kinds of crap and I turned to him and said George see the door , leave. Well he was appaulled and my then husband said nothing and that was that. Well so I thought.
Once again the overseer called me, (this ist he elder who daugher was just married) so he wanted me and my ex to come to a meeting at the kingdom hall.
After all the baggering and the ten people who belly ached and said I was drunk and they knew I wasn't but that wasn't good enough one meeting led to two and then three where my dad and mother attended and I was told I was going to be privately approved in front of 15 people. they won. Then a few nights later the overseer called me again and said the committee has decided to publicly reprove you. I was livid as one of the elder on that committee was also at that company picnic with all of his family including his parents and he accused me as a drunkard, I turned to the three brothers and said how dare this brother be on this hearing when he himself was so drunk at the picnic in fact he had more to drink than me I said how dare you point your fingers at me. Well silence you could hear a pin drop and then the overseer said he is not being called to attention you are and then they looked at the other brother and he didnt' say another word and after that a wk later he was deleted as an elder. So what a friggin mess. I was so pissed and ended up having a double whammy thrown at me. I think about that time I really began to see so much of the lying and hypocrisy in the body of ministerial servants and elders.
It was a year latter that my priveleges were restored to me and in that year of waiting not one not even a phone call from anyone of those brothers on that committee or those who accused my came to see me or call me and I told the brother that came to restore my privileges I said to them it took you long enouogh. They were very embarrased but I in some way felt vindicated. Cuz I wasn't going to back down anymore.
I know in my heart of heart that my father and this one brother who accused of driving drunk had it in for me. I know it sounds bazaire but during the many mouths of my reproof I would see my dad following me down the highway and one time I was sitting in a resturant having lunch and beer and in walks my dad and he looks right at me and says, "did you see brother so and so come in here. Gee how transparent could he be. And after I left that resturant I saw my father pull out of a parking spot a way across the lot and he was driving slowly until he seen me on the highway home and he started to speed up beside me and I tooted my horn and I smiled and he sneered while I pulled into the gas station. He was following me many times. In fact on several occasions my dad borrowed my pick up truck so he could spy on a brother whom they assumed was seeing another women.
Real trust in that organization. Oh God I am so free of them .
Orangefatcat apoligizes for this very long post but I needed to tell this story.