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Earlier in the study phase, my mom had abandoned celebrating all of the holidays. My second birthday was the last holiday we celebrated. I don't even remember that. By the time I was four, my mom was a regular "publisher", one who is meeting all of the minimum requirements of the ministry. As a publisher, you were a minister. It was your duty to go out in "field service" where you go door to door or stand on street corners trying to save people from the doom to come.

Next time you get a visit from a JW or are approached by one, please keep in mind, they are doing this because they really don't want you to die a terrible death. Besides, they are afraid of disappointing Jehovah by not making their hours. After all, giving a minimum of ten hours a month talking to people about Jehovah was an honorable sacrifice of your time.

Then of course the meeting requirements. On Sunday was the Watchtower and the regular meeting. About two hours. Then the book study which was determined by the overseer as to when it would be held, whose homes would be chosen, and who would attend at which home. This meeting was an hour. Then there was the service meeting which was late in the evening. It was a two parter. The first was to everyone, the second we split up into groups where we practiced what to say on field service in front of a group of our peers and elders and we were graded. This meeting lasted three hours. Then of course, there was the neverending barage of material to study. New books, Watchtowers, Awakes, things to prepare for the meetings... it never ended.

Now that my mom was fully into the JW mode, she had no time for anything else but the witness life. Everything outside of the organization was evil and to be avoided at all costs. They made sure no one had time to mingle with the world. It was going to end soon, so why waste time and energy on things that will kill you soon?