Friday, October 24, 2008
My opinion
My opinion of Jehovah’s Witnesses has never been a good one, they seemed as a burden to me. This is due to the fact that they would come by my house and bother us by ringing the doorbell until they got the hint that "we weren't there". If they found a way to get into my apartment building it was even worse because they could knock on your door and hear if anyone was inside. This always made me feel really bad because it’s rude not to open the door because we know they are Jehovah’s Witnesses, when they clearly know someone is there because either someone is talking on the phone, or the television is on. I remember one specific time in my household where the door of our house was opened and they came in to speak about their beliefs. I of course was very small so I did not understand much of what they were talking about all I truly remember was that they stayed and talked with my parents for a really long time, until my mother stated that she needed to go along and finish cleaning and doing her daily duties so they finally left.
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I find your topic very interesting and funny. I grew up in Ecuador till the age of 10 I can testify to this burden, but I had no idea this too happened in America. My whole life we were told not open the door for strangers, but specially for Jehovah’s Witnesses. When they came around knocking on everyone’s doors, we, the children, would turn the TV off and hide behind furniture or even in front of the door and not move until we saw their shadows banish. I never knew why this was necessary, nor wanted to. It wasn’t until 4th grade that I was forced by my circumstances to find the answer.
I went to a public school with kids from all around my city, we all knew each other since we’d been attending the same the place for at least 3 years now. It was very rear that the grade’s population changed. The only time things got different was when kids dropped out to work and help their families. In the three years I had been at this school, I was the only addition to the class in their 5 years together. In 4th grade things changed up, another student was added to our grade. His name was Mathew and he was a very active kid that never stopped, not even when sitting in class. As the school year progressed we became close friend and I found out he lived around the corner from me. We started hanging out outside of school; he was a little older than me so he usually came to get me. He came by so often, that he didn’t even wear a shirt anymore and my family would let him whenever he stopped by, not even telling me he was coming.
We knew that the Jehovah’s Witnesses made their round on Saturday mornings while we were watching cartoons in the living room, so we were always ready to act like there was no one there. We knew that if anyone knocked on the door during this time, it was a group of these people, however we still had to check just in case.
One morning, just like any other, the Jehovah’s Witnesses paid us a visit, but this time we heard a different voice calling for us to answer the door. I recognized the voice; it was Mathew’s, so I opened the door. This time he was wearing and a suit and there was a grown man and a male teenager with him. They all had their hairs gelled and combed to the side. I turned around with confusion and noticed that none of my cousins and uncle were nowhere to be found. I knew I blew it, but this was my friend, so I figured I couldn’t be that bad. I was wrong! Him and his dad and brother would not stop talking, asking me questions and try to intimidate me into agreeing with them. After a life-size eternity the two older men left and went on to torture another house. I tried asking Mathew what he was doing, but he wouldn’t break of character. He was even referring to me as “brother Isaac.”
I can’t say I understand their purpose of what they were telling me, but I learned my lesson that and knew that no matter who showed up at that door around that time was not welcomed.
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