Hi E-Man,
It's been ages since I posted -- really sorry to have missed the BBQ this year. Loved the photos. Maybe next year if I'm still invited??
Anyway, to answer your question, I left the organisation in Feb 87 and was disfellowshipped in May. I also left my husband at the same time. I didn't attend any meetings until the following year's Memorial. I didn't exactly expect to be welcomed with open arms, but some eye contact would have been nice. I was "greeted" by an elder (a wordless greeting) and escorted in my red dress (worn just for the occasion) to the flippin' FRONT ROW. Of course, I'd ditched my songbooks, etc., and someone was nice enough to lend me one. Couldn't sing, though, as my throat felt full of lead. My ex-husband didn't look at me, much less speak. My former best friend (we were so close that I was to be in the delivery room with her when she had her first child) glanced in my direction, then pursed her lips and looked away. Talk about 'turd in the swimming pool'.
When I left that night (still not having spoken to anyone), I knew I would never go back. Even to pass a KH now makes my stomach turn over. That powerful Christian love will get you every time.