When I walked away I didn't feel shame or embarrassment. I just wanted to get on with my life and they could be at theirs. I knew their policies so my plan was not to engage them in a religious discussion but that's where things got dicey. THEY had to engage and when my aunt finally cornered me so that I felt I had to answer her questions honestly that was her ticket to label me apostate and, I'm assuming, get the ball rolling to have me either disassociated or df'd. I never have found out which it was but the reaction of JW's on the street is the same either way. Now I feel saddened when I see an old 'friend' because although I'd really like to reassure them that I'm a pretty normal nice person, just not JW, I never get the chance. Their literature warns them quite conclusively that if they speak to a df'd person that that outcome may be the result i.e. you'll become friends. So......my anger is to the GB who manipulate and feed them such trashy inhuman codes of conduct. I will say this as in interesting recent experience (like yesterday!). I went to a Ren Faire with my daughter and an old JW friend and her daughter were running a booth selling candles and jewelry. My daughter found them first and told me I should go and say hi. I asked her if she thought they'd talk to me and she said she thought that they would. The reception I got was totally warm and wonderful. Maybe because of the fact that they were in a maybe questionable atmosphere by JW standards they felt comfortable with me. I don't know but it was nice all the same. They were dressed in their Ren Faire costumes and looked quite the part! I was my usual piratey 'Grainia' type personna and my daughter was a sultry gypsy dressed in red and black. Maybe I'll post some pics on the picture thread.