Posts by troubled mind

8

Missing my Mountains

by jgnat in

here's an album of my recent artwork.

the watercolors i whipped up in the last few days, as a distraction.. https://plus.google.com/photos/101031800144975623378/albums/5897865355980960561.

Our Blondie Has A Torn Memiscus.

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

jw
friends

blondie posted her watchtower comments for today and her last paragraph was asking for help, suggestions.

she is in pain from her knee injury, is on steroids and possibly going to have surgery.. she is asking if anyone here, has had the same problem, and if so, what did they do and how was the outcome?.

just lois.

troubled mind

Blondie , Give me a call if you still have my number !

I tore the meniscus in my knee last summer and waited until November to have surgery ,DON't wait that long if surgery is suggested . It has taken mine almost eight months to finally feel normal again (surgery relieved the worst of the pain immediately ) but getting the achiness to go away has taken time , i hear everyone is different .

93

During Your IN Years If You Had Anointed At Your Hall, What Were They Like?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

the scoop of humanity at one khall, the anointed ones" were a mixed group.. one bro, h. had been in for eons.

he was df for adultery, back in the day when they would announce your sin openly from the platform to everyone.

he just kept on coming and partaking until he was reinstated.

troubled mind

The people I knew in my childhood KH that claimed to be annointed were all very elderly ,and had been JWs a long time .They all had very kind ,humble personalities. In the hall we last attended someone told me there is a Brother now partaking ,he is a few yrs older than me....he is known to be a jackass . Quick tempered and quite boisterous . I can not even imagine him representing himself as Christs brother

93

During Your IN Years If You Had Anointed At Your Hall, What Were They Like?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

the scoop of humanity at one khall, the anointed ones" were a mixed group.. one bro, h. had been in for eons.

he was df for adultery, back in the day when they would announce your sin openly from the platform to everyone.

he just kept on coming and partaking until he was reinstated.

troubled mind

When I was a child there was a couple of people in our hal that partook at the Memorial . One Older Brother I knew quite well . Went to his Book study and he worked in service with my Mom and I . He was always very nice and humble . Soft spoken and kind . When I was 15 I got private reproof and was not suppose to answer at meetings ,but at the book study he called on me to read a scripture ....I knew I was not suppose to so I shook my head NO. Afterwards he approached me and apologized profusly , I really liked him . Then he fell on some ice in the parking lot and had a stroke . When I visited him in the hospital his wife said as soon as he heard my voice he turned his head towards me and smiled ....it was the only response he had shown since the stroke ....that always touched my heart . He died a few days later .

According to my Mom another couple in the hall quit associating because they said this same Brother had treated them harshly ......I could never understand how that could be ,but it is like everything else ....just depends on the circumstances .

19

My first talk with JWs at the door while on vacation

by troubled mind in

jw
friends

this was the first time in almost eight years i have had a conversation with a jw .

we were on vacation last week at my son and daughter in laws home .

one morning the doorbell rang and as i went to answer it my daughter in law said she thought it was witnesses .

troubled mind

This was the first time in almost eight years I have had a conversation with a JW . We were on vacation last week at my son and daughter in laws home . One morning the doorbell rang and as I went to answer it my daughter in law said she thought it was Witnesses . My husband said ," Don't answer it !" (He always thinks I am going to go balistic on them , whatever )

So this very nice pair of women are waiting on the steps as I shut the door behind me . The first one states they are JWs and that they were expecting my DIL to answer the door . I told them who I was and that i was visiting . She went on about how they knew my DIL had been raised in a Witness household and how great they thought that was . The sister talking mentioned how she raised her kids in "the truth' and that when they were grown they could decide for themselves to be Witnesses or not ...that was the great thing about their religion ..... WELL I NEARLY CHOCKED RIGHT THERE

However I held my tongue and just said ," Well yeah I guess they may have a choice ....as long as they don't mind the severe consequences they may suffer for that choice " Her partner kind of shook her head in agreement ,but the one speaking kind of let it go over her head ...

Then I began to tell them how I too was raised a JW ,for over 44 yrs I was associated with JWs . I also told them many of the reasons why I no longer am one .

This sister actually said " You can believe whatever you want as a JW especially in your own home ,it is between you and Jehovah " ......I said 'well that certainly is not what the Organization teaches in fact the Org teaches you NEED them in order to even approach Jesus because they are the mediator between you and him . She totally disagreed on that point and I said well maybe you should do some research on what the ORg really teaches on that point .'

.....I told her I no longer believe in God and she wanted to share a scripture ....??? That makes no sense to me, I said 'no thanks '. She was sure Jer. 29 :11 would have some magical effect upon my mind .

Before they left I told them about all the changes in belief I had seen in my lifetime such as blood fractions ,1914 , ect . I asked them how do you feel about it now that the numbers of those partaking has increased and the society now says the FDS is only those on the Governing body ???? The one sister said I was misinformed ,but the other said, "you mean the information coming out in the July Watchtower ? " " Yes ,the new opinion, I said .

I told them I would never return to a manmade organization . For years I felt not good enough and oppressed . Now I am happier than ever before ,Why would I change that ? They suddenly needed to leave for a Bible study .....

It was good to be just nice and friendly ,but get my point across . They were really nice women not haughty or pretenscious ....had they been I am sure the discussion may have gone a whole different way .

wonder if they stop by again what will be said to my Daughter in law .

22

Feeling numb and alone

by DeWandelaar in

since some time i post here on this forum... i am always willing to help people or to express my opinion if it helps someone.... i have already posted something about myself but i haven't told much about my history.. i am married with a nice wife and i have three kids (two of my own and a stephdaughter).

since a year i do not go to meetings and i unofficially stopped with the "truth".

i had a meeting with some elders expressing my concerns with the teachings and with the slave.

troubled mind

You are not alone .... I am so sorry for all the loss you have experienced in such a short period of time . Take some time for yourself to heal emotionally . You may not realize how much of what you are currently going through may be based on the fact you are still in a grieving process over your mother and Sister. I am sorry your Dad has not handled the grief ,maybe it is not too late to work things out with him for mutual support . A local support group could be beneficial too .

As for fading .... it is NOT the easier road . It does make you feel in limbo because you ARE ! You are being pulled in many different ways and pretending to be something you are not . Really give this route some thought and decide, is it truly the best way for you ?

In regards to your family life ,my advice would be to seek family counseling . Or in the very least begin a new way to bring the family together . When my kids were little we had very little money ,so we found every free thing there was to do with kids . We went camping ,found every local park to explore . We found zoos and museums and special community events geared towards families . This helped strengthen our family and gave us time together to explore interests . When you are drawing away from a community based religion such as the JWs you need to replace that sense of belonging with something else . Look for clubs or interests to join that will give you that feeling of being apart of something else and a way to meet new people-friends to introduce into your life .

Good luck with whatever you decide ,and remember you are not alone . Someone to talk to is only a keystroke away .

26

Tell us your strangest, weirdest, funniest encounters going D2D

by BluePill2 in

jw
friends

if you where a brave little witness soldier, or even a pioneer (gasp), you must have seen a lot of strange shit.

the probability of encountering "interesting" people or getting yourself into weird situations is pretty high.. i'll start.

i have to get them together, but today i remembered this ones:.

troubled mind

When i was a teenager my friend and i were working D2D together on a hot summer day . As we walked up to a house we noticed the inside door was open ,and when I knocked on the screen door we could hear a couple moaning and groaning( in a good way) on the couch just inside the door .... then we heard ,"oh shit ....GO AWAY ".......

29

Out with the old....

by wha happened? in

i purchased a condo late last year and due to my personal schedule, i wasn't able to redo it to my preferance until a few months ago.

all the heavy work is done.

now just replacing electrical outlets, fixtures and such.

troubled mind

I threw out all 32 yrs worth of bound volumes and couple of yrs ago . It was city wide clean up and people were dumpster diving big time . I saw some young twenty somethings going through my trash so I went out and warned them that they probably wouldn't want those books . They asked why so I told them the whole sorted JW story ...One of them slammed the book back in the trash and yelled "those A-holes " They ruined my friends life !"...Gues he had a Df'd friend that was being shunned .

77

I just informed the parents about me and the TTATT... heart wrenching

by sosoconfused in

well first i want to thank everyone here for the good points etc... i have received over the last few months.

you guys have really been helpful!.

so the other day my mother wrote me a 3 page letter telling me how she was so scared for me because she could tell my love for the truth was gone etc.. so i decided i wanted to totally rip the band-aid off and get this matter over and done with.

troubled mind

Your Dad is an awesome Dad .....

71

My JW best friend is bringing a 'heavy' around to my house to talk some sense into me.

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

i agreed, if only because i want to see my friend of many years.

the 'heavy' is a large, imposing man with a booming voice and is a creature of the gb through and thru (eg only visited his dfd dad on his death bed because it was a 'good witness' to the hospital staff) and i'm feeling stressed about seeing him.

i so badly wanted to see my friend though, i agreed without thinking and now wish i hadn't have.

troubled mind

Julia , I have just finished reading through your experience ,and it all sounds so very familiar . I can relate to how your mind is reeling right now because you are coming to the reality that your "old Pioneer friend" is really not who you imagined him to be . When we were active we truly thought we were among 'brothers and sisters ' a family ,but once you leave that illusion dissolves very quickly .

Know this Julia ,you will rebuild new relationships ! You will be wiser the second time around . You will recognize users and people that are not genuine . It takes time ,but you can do this .

Please do not put yourself through anymore JW emotional pain ! You may start receiving calls for invitations to a JC in order to address some of the things you mentioned to the CO ....if you do ,calmly tell the person on the other end of the line to never call you again . If you recieve a certified letter from the Kingdom Hall ,do not open it have it returned to the sender . Your emotional health is being compromised and it is really ridiculous to allow them that kind of influence over your life . The only power they have over you is what YOU allow them to have . You will never convince them that you have valid reasons for leaving ,so don't waste your breath . Be free ,live your life and be happy . Thankfully you have your parents and husband that is a great support system right there so many never have the privilege of having any family left ,count yourself fortunate .

When I first left there were times I really wanted to just hear another ex- jw's voice, and I did reach out to a couple of people from the board . It helped to get me over the hump of losing so much personal contact in the beginning . If you need someone to talk to I will pm you my phone number .