The Retirement Thread

[ColinJ]

A less serious JW story...

I kept hearing a light tapping on my front door, but every time I answered there was nobody there. I thought it was kids messing about (we used to call it 'rat-a-tat ginger') so next day I got ready to pounce...

Tap tap - I flung the door open and saw a very smart-looking young man beating a hasty retreat. I called him back and he looked flustered. He mumbled a few things, thrust a copy of Watchtower into my hands, and walked away.

I couldn't figure it out until somebody told me that Witnesses have a quota of doorstep calls that they have to make every day. The shy young man clearly didn't actually want to convert anybody, but he had to be able to swear that he was trying to!

 

[welsh dragon]

They certainly are less Christian like than most. When I was working in Birmingham we had one in the office. He gave up his job as it took up too much of his time. He didn't have enough time to knock on people's doors. Annoying people took precedence to working for a living. He was def a weird man in more ways than 1.

 

[PaulSB]

Jehovah's Witnesses.
Have to say Dirk... it was not easy. It was my life for nearly 50 years and as I said, I knew I did not have one friend outside of the JWs.....once you walk away you are shunned.... they are not allowed to speak to you.

I do hope "Well done" is the right thing to say. It must have taken real courage and conviction you had made the right decision.

 

[Dirk]

The JWs I worked with eventually gave up trying to have any sort of philosophical discussion about religion with me.
I probably knew more about their position than they did.

 

[oldwheels]

3,000 die in the 9/11 attacks. Result: trillions of dollars spent, wars all over the world, hundreds of thousands killed.

New disease starts wiping out that many Americans every day. Result: "FAKE NEWS - it's only a little flu bug"/"Just inject disinfectant"/"Pah, I got over it in a couple of days - only losers get seriously ill!"...


Oops!


I spent 9 days in hospital seriously ill in 2012. My former colleagues had my phone number, email address and home address but I didn't get a single call, text, email or card from them. I bumped into a couple of them a few years later. I'd assumed that they hadn't heard about my illness, but it turned out that another ex-colleague had told them at the time... FFS, how long does it take to text "Heard about your illness, Col - GWS!"?

It is somewhat similar to people who have lived here and leave for whatever reason. They become non -persons and if they return for a visit they just do not belong any more.

 

[ColinJ]

I had one very persistent JW pester me years ago in Coventry, probably around 1980...

CJ: "Sorry, I am too busy to talk to you today."

JW: "I could come back tomorrow?"

CJ: "I'm busy then too."

JW: "The day after that?"

CJ: "Busy!"

JW: "Next week?"

CJ: "It's a VERY busy time for me. I am busy every day this year, and every evening too. The next few years look pretty busy. In fact, the following couple of decades are busy. You could try me at 2 pm, on April 3rd, 2003?"

JW: "Thank you, sir."

He wrote that time and date down and walked away...!

 

[welsh dragon]

Interesting to read of all the comments re not speaking to family etc.
I have alluded to this before. I was brought up in a strict religious family and was not "allowed" to have real friends outside of that religion.
Now.....you have to understand that with all these religions (Muslim, Buddhist etc) you grow up to believe it is THE TRUE RELIGION.
SO....20 years ago when I broke free I knew I had absolutely no friends BUT I weighed all that up and accepted it.
Fortunately a) I have a good wife who I love and b) I am happy with my own company.
I have a son and daughter who are lovely plus a brother I get on with.

Well done to you Dave. It still took some kahunas though to leave.

 

[classic33]

I had one very persistent JW pester me years ago in Coventry, probably around 1980...

CJ: "Sorry, I am too busy to talk to you today."

JW: "I could come back tomorrow?"

CJ: "I'm busy then too."

JW: "The day after that?"

CJ: "Busy!"

JW: "Next week?"

CJ: "It's a VERY busy time for me. I am busy every day this year, and every evening too. The next few years look pretty busy. In fact, the following couple of decades are busy. You could try me at 2 pm, on April 3rd, 2003?"

JW: "Thank you, sir."

He wrote that time and date down and walked away...!

Did he call back there, or was it him tapping on your door.

 

[Dave7]

A less serious JW story...

I kept hearing a light tapping on my front door, but every time I answered there was nobody there. I thought it was kids messing about (we used to call it 'rat-a-tat ginger') so next day I got ready to pounce...

Tap tap - I flung the door open and saw a very smart-looking young man beating a hasty retreat. I called him back and he looked flustered. He mumbled a few things, thrust a copy of Watchtower into my hands, and walked away.

I couldn't figure it out until somebody told me that Witnesses have a quota of doorstep calls that they have to make every day. The shy young man clearly didn't actually want to convert anybody, but he had to be able to swear that he was trying to!

Not correct.
They have a target of time spent witnessing. It can be door knocking, informal eg striking up a conversation on a park bench or 'witnessing' to relatives etc.
They have to put a report in each month detailing how many hours, how many magazines/books they have 'placed' how many times return calls they made....... BUT definitely not how many doors they knock on.

 

[oldwheels]

Interesting to read of all the comments re not speaking to family etc.
I have alluded to this before. I was brought up in a strict religious family and was not "allowed" to have real friends outside of that religion.
Now.....you have to understand that with all these religions (Muslim, Buddhist etc) you grow up to believe it is THE TRUE RELIGION.
SO....20 years ago when I broke free I knew I had absolutely no friends BUT I weighed all that up and accepted it.
Fortunately a) I have a good wife who I love and b) I am happy with my own company.
I have a son and daughter who are lovely plus a brother I get on with.

I was brought up in a Free Presbyterian family and not really taking to religion had endless conflicts with my mother who was the main driving force so far as religion was concerned. We never did get on even after I left home and had a wife and family.
I can understand your frustration having been there myself.

 

[PaulSB]

This talk of JWs has reminded me we had a good friend, Lorna, when we lived in Birmingham. She was a lovely person. She was engaged by the JWs and started to take an interest.

One day she disappeared never to be heard from again. Walked out on her husband and kids. Very sad.

 

[ColinJ]

Not correct.
They have a target of time spent witnessing. It can be door knocking, informal eg striking up a conversation on a park bench or 'witnessing' to relatives etc.
They have to put a report in each month detailing how many hours, how many magazines/books they have 'placed' how many times return calls they made....... BUT definitely not how many doors they knock on.

Well, in that case he must have been timing how long he spent going back and forth knocking on doors but not actually speaking to people!

 

[welsh dragon]

OMG. I see there is a thread about Kay Burley the Sky news presenter. Must. Resist. The. Temptation. Must. Stay. Away.

 

[Dave7]

Well, in that case he must have been timing how long he spent going back and forth knocking on doors but not actually speaking to people!

There are odd balls in all walks of life so we can't label all JWs because of the way one behaves.
I can tell you emphatically that how many doors knocked is not a requirement..
Some of them HATE door knocking so will walk very slowly, maybe knock on a few doors then walk half a mile to make a return visit etc......just so they can report their hours.
Others just love door knocking and get a real buzz from it.
ME.......I spent 50 years hating it but I didn't cheat.

 

[numbnuts]

Many years ago when I was on a low two lady JWs knocked on the door I asked them in for a cup of tea, we had a nice chat for an hour or more, but it's funny they never came back