Is the end near?

Is the end near?

I'm in a hurry, had stuff to do and almost missed the JW's on the street corner.
I sometimes stop for a chat, some still know me from the distant past.
I am neither disfellowshipped or disassociated.
Out of the corner of my eye, I recognized an old lady standing there in the cold holding the magazine titled, 'Is the end near'
I say old, she is about 20 years older than me. Talking of my generation, I was in my late teens when the Beatles were singing 'We can work it out' and people were still 'turning a whiter shade of pale' If you wish, do the maths.

She looked up and recognized me and smiled.
For many minutes we spoke about our families. New babies, new life. Grand children etc, etc.
Not the happiest of conversations to be sure.
Her husband, a brother, an Elder, was dead as was her two children a boy and girl, who both pioneered from school, and died in their late fifties.
She raised her head looked at me and the smile had gone.
She then said this to me.  "I'm going to die in this system. Armageddon will not come in my lifetime"

By this time we had moved away from her fellow witnesses and she was leaning against the wall. She should have been at home in the warm, having a hot drink.
What do you say to a statement like that? I'd known this dear sister for over 40 years. No smart comments were going to come from me. I have too much respect and love for not just this lady, but for her fellow witnesses,
And here is my point. The older I get the more funerals I am attending.
All the time trying to avoid my own.

I have noticed on the streets a lot of new blood. Younger witnesses, looking and acting just like me when I was baptized at 15 and pioneered straight from school.
People of my generation are either leaving the witnesses, have left, or have died or will soon be dead.
In my Bible, the one I preached from on the platform of many Kingdom Halls and in the streets of many cities, clearly read, "This generation will by no means pass away .... ..."

Wow my mouth dropped open when I read she said that! That is the saddest thing to say. How do you respond to something so sad when you well know she'd defend her religion against anything you say to her to help her. The cult leaders will pay for these lies..
The upside of newer generations is that information is becoming available at a faster rate than ever. One click and a jw could wake up.

"I'm going to die in this system. Armageddon will not come in my lifetime"
My first feeling was one of sadness.
A repeated promise that God's war of Armageddon was just around the corner and a new earth was to follow.

I was talking to another sister in the street recently and discussing JW doctrine which is always risky as I realised as we were talking, that she recognized me from many years ago!
She said the following.
'Where do we go to - who else is preaching Gods word?' She was quoting Peter's words to Jesus "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life"
She continued ''they must be telling us the truth?'

She then said.
'Other religions are always grabbing after peoples money'
I now wonder what she will make of May's JW Broadcasting.
'Honour Jehovah with your valuable things'
A blatant begging for money, if there ever was.