Father Time Continues To Touch Us

Once again I knock out another Lee County Shrine Club monthly newsletter. I got it done and printed on schedule in spite of the holidays. Holidays always bring to mind people we knew, respected, cared about and loved that are now gone but certainly not forgotten. These people from the past inspired this article.

My wife and I had a nice Christmas with family. I guess my personal most pleasurable part of Christmas was being able to spend time with my wife. She is a perfect match for my insanity and we spend a lot of time laughing about a variable range of issues. I know what it is like to be married to a person that you dread being around. Christy doesn't create drama or argument, she creates fun and I really appreciate her for being her.

I hope you enjoy this article and thank you for reading my blog.

Father Time Continues To Touch Us

Once again the phone rang, once again I hear about another close friend and Brother Mason facing death. “It doesn’t look good” was the message. Here is another man who is not just a ritualistic scholar but someone who went deep into the study, history and purposes of the craft. Here is a man that truly made a difference in Freemasonry, someone worthy of our respect. Luckily he recovered this incident, but remains a very sick man.

One of my first experiences in Freemasonry was the funeral of a man who was very special to the lodge. He taught all the candidates their lectures and I remember being told he had just received the “Shriner of the Year” award; I wasn’t even a Shriner yet. Since that time I have known several good men that brought honor, respect and truth to our fraternity; something that is more rare than common in Mississippi Freemasonry, especially now. We all have our own experiences within our craft and have our own personal friendships among brothers. We should never forget these men and how these good brothers, now residing on a higher plane, improved the lodge, influenced young men to future greatness and we sure could use with us again.

Every year when the Academy Award or the Emmys come on TV they always do a special memorial segment featured celebrities that passed away the previous year. We do mention our lost brothers in our meetings, but maybe we need a special annual reminder of who we lost to death and take in account and reflect on their importance to our craft. It’s more than the ritual, the politics, or the years of membership; but rather whose death greatly affected our lodges and affiliated Masonic bodies. Some members are difficult to keep up with due to inactivity on the part of the member. Every brother is important to the craft. Every brother deserves our remembrance; even the non-participating ones.

Often I question the wisdom of our Masonic actions. Our membership continues to fall in spite of all the changes made to eligibility and qualifications of candidates. Have these changes truly improved our fraternity? Are we seeking men or is there men seeking us? Do our lodges offer enrichment and enlightenment to the membership? When is the last time your lodge discussed the meaning and intent of a symbol or a phrase?

Sometimes I feel like I am beating a dead horse when I write about the Masonic Lodge; harmony, fraternity, brotherhood, and participation. I start looking for a paragraph in a book and quoting a famous Masonic author and historian to include. How many times have our tenets and teachings been quoted in lodge and yet someone still isn’t happy. Often I have said that the most fallible thing about a Freemason is that they are human. Forget a hundred years ago, Masonry had changed significantly in the last twenty years. I know the Internet is now a factor in modern Freemasonry, especially in the information sharing area, but I believe the major factor affecting our lodges now is the loss of the men we had as leaders and teachers. Have we learned the lessons they attempted to teach us? I see men striving to take their place and seek the same respect without first employing the effort. Masonic leadership is a service, not a position of power; this much I have learned.

I no longer care about degrees, pomp and circumstance, honors, accolades or titles. I now seek peace, harmony, quiet reflection and the enlightenment from being open minded. Experience is our best teacher and mistakes are usually made from people rushing forward without the experience needed to maintain the required harmony. I get a lot of enjoyment from a simple stated meeting with no drama, full of fellowship and even a sliver of laughter from pre-lodge discussions. It does me a lot of good to drive up to that Shriners Hospital with a patient. Actually seeing the good work of our hospitals and being able to visit with Nobles from all over. These are dedicated men also volunteering their time helping children and many of them who have made hundreds of trips to that hospital. If you want to truly understand what being a Shriner is about, go visit a hospital; sit in the lobby and watch.

The men I have known who were trained fighters and professional soldiers didn’t feel the need to prove their abilities. They could break you in half in seconds. I witnessed such a friend approached by a young person who claimed he was going to show this guy a martial artist move. In a blink of the eye he was flat of his back on the floor immobilized with my buddy standing over him. This “big scary guy” asked him, “Was that what you wanted to teach me?” I have noticed the same quiet lack of ego among some of our finest Masonic leaders of the past. They didn’t need to prove themselves and they encouraged young men to jump in the chairs. These men taught without criticism and preferred to remain uninvolved with the politics of men. These men of the past whom Father Time has chosen to take from us were our guide and map for the future.

We have mentioned resolutions in the past. You don’t need to publicly resolve to reflect and ponder on those in the past who were the example of Masonic principles. Quiet personal reflection works. We can all take the time to remember those we truly miss among our numbers. Just before I go to print this I see in the local obituaries another Mississippi Masonic icon has died. The scythe of time continues without hesitation and we have another brother gone who will be missed.

Have a happy new year and think about how you can take the past into a positive future for you, your family and your Masonic Brotherhood. May the Great Architect of the Universe bless you and keep you safe.

Hummus & French Grapefruit

You would think I would have much more to say and certainly post more on this blog. I am sure I do but sometimes I don’t say what I am thinking. Sometimes I am unable to put on in words the thoughts which occupy my mind at the moment. For example; the first two sentences of this paragraph was written a week ago. The second sentence had an error in it that I just now corrected. I do love a word processor with spell-check.

Tonight was a simple night. My wife, who works in retail, got off work about two hours later than normal. Then we went out to eat. This is a rough time of year for retail personnel. Seems like we, as a couple experience the same emotions every year during the holidays. The holidays are vastly different than I remember as a kid. Then for years the combination of two bad marriages and being single back and forth, the holidays were just a time of years that came and went. I was thinking tonight while we were driving from the restaurant how much better the holidays are with this wife and this marriage. I didn’t want to say anything because I felt like I was beating a dead horse with the subject. This wife is so much better, so much easier to live with, much more understanding and I feel like I can be myself now. I am truly thankful and my Mother is right, she is a blessing.

Conflict is so prevalent now in everything, I get to the point I just don’t want to be involved in anything. The question is; how can you spend so much time on the Internet? My answer, it doesn’t piss me off. No conflict is involved in my time on-line. Millions of people are now on Facebook. I have reconnected with people from the past that I honestly want to be reconnected to now. Every Facebook friend accepted me and I accepted them. The best part is these Facebook friends do not create conflict in my life. I feel we are going to see more and more “groups” and “clubs” reduce in activity partially because of the changes in attitude in people and part due to the Internet. Why drive somewhere for a meeting to hear the same old stuff when you can stay at home and surf the globe. With social networking sites the group dynamic is met without interference in any schedule.

Businesses, news agencies, politicians, and charities already see the light and jumping on the web. With sites like Twitter and Facebook one can reach a bigger audience easier. I get Twitter updates from three news sources, five popular chefs, two Shriners sources and my daughter. It comes in real handy to keep up with things. The Internet has become a utility in life, like electricity, running water, natural gas, cable television and the telephone. I own and have owned several various reference books. It wasn’t necessarily the knowing the answer that was important but rather how to find the answer. I still like having reference material at hand. How many times have you thought or said “I can look it up on-line.” For example; my wife and I were discussing hummus in the grocery store tonight. She asked if it would be cheaper to make our own. Our curiosity increased after we saw that the jar of tahini cost over ten dollars. Naturally I said I would look up the recipe on-line. Poof! In fifteen seconds and by only typing “humm” in Google I hit this recipe. Another quick, click, drag, copy and paste, here it is ready to share. Gosh it might have taken a whole five minutes to look up a recipe in one of my cookbooks. Thirty years ago, I wouldn’t have known what hummus was much less found a recipe.

Hummus

Ingredients:
•1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
•1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
•3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
•1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
•2 cloves garlic, crushed
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

The Internet has changed our lives. It also occupies several hours of our time. It is constantly changing and constantly growing as well as the daily changes in what we see and use the Internet for.

I started this blog post over a week ago and just now continuing…….

My addiction to the Internet grows because it holds no conflict for me. (Yes I know I said that earlier which was a week ago) I can occupy my mind without strife and woe. It seems like I get involved with one section of the web and stick to that until I basically wear it out; I stayed on www.Bladeforums.com constantly for a long time. The knife websites held my interest and I still cruse through then now. Now it seems like Facebook is the number log on site for me. I can stay connected with multiple friends from multiple facets of my life.

Since I got my iPhone I have discovered podcasts and even found more on YouTube to watch. We have reached the “On Demand” generation and are able to listen to what we want to hear at the time we want to hear it. This changes the marketing aspect of the music industry greatly. Plus it cuts into the radio advertising area. Television is also moving in that direction. I was watching a special on PBS about the Ed Sullivan show and was reminded of a time way before VCR or DVR recordings. We used to have to wait for a show to come on and if we missed it, we missed it. Summer reruns used to be a singular rerun. A movie used to come on TV about three years after it ran in theaters. Now it plays in the theater, three months later it’s out on DVD and Pay-per-View. With the DVR we can record television and watch it at our convenience. Life has changed. I envision us all becoming Weebles, wobbling in front of a screen and keyboard. Never leaving our homes and the apocalypse is actually one major power outage….

I have discovered something new on the Internet. While goofing around on my iPhone looking at featured postings from YouTube, I found a couple from the West Coast that post “Videosongs” on YouTube. They are good and obviously started with a very small following to now a large following. These two young people, Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, collaborate on this music style of music and call themselves “Pomplamoose” which is French for grapefruit and my kind of name for a group. http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic

Tomorrow I have to make another trip to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport. I am going to turn in all the can tabs we collected this year. It is good to be part of something that totally benefits the children. Looks like I will be away from the Internet for a couple of days. I hope it doesn’t go bust due to my inactivity; at least I have my phone. Maybe I’ll have something more to blog about when I get back….

Non Article Blog

Happy Thanksgiving…Normally I would have an article from the newsletter I put out for the Lee County Shrine Club. This month I opted to forgo the writing and simply put a series of pictures of our annual magic show. It was a busy day, but truthfully it was a lot of fun. I couldn’t walk the next day. My legs give out much easier now and my right ankle was really frozen and painful. So all I was really able to do Sunday work on the newsletter. I did include a public relations article on Shrine membership. I honestly try to keep this newsletter fresh for the readers. After almost ten years of producing a monthly newsletter that can be a challenge sometimes. I try to add various elements that will keep people interested in reading it. I find that more women read it quicker than the men. I get more feedback from the women.

The ladies involved in the Shriners are just as important and productive as the men. It’s a shame we (the men) haven’t found a way to “officially” add them as members. Freemasonry being the base for membership prohibits women from joining. Not that I am advocating changing one of the base landmarks in Freemasonry; but, after more than a hundred years plus the public aspect of Shriners International, we should have found a way to make the women’s role more official, at least on the club level.

We do have some movement in the Shriners big picture, a couple of new web sites, www.shrinersvillage.com and www.beashrinernow.com. The first is for Shriners and requires membership to enter and the second is a public promotional website. Being a Shriner is a position of service. http://shrinershq.org/

This year’s magic show included a child identification program; the MSCHIP program sponsored by the Grand Lodge of Mississippi. This is a good program and the odds are we are going be responsible for the recovery of a missing/abducted child.

Our magician was from Madison, MS, Dorian LaChance. He was very good, entertaining and energetic; both the kids and adults enjoyed his show. Our timing was off with the addition of the child ID program. Originally we didn’t need a break between shows, I guess we do now. I think our error was that our original magician didn’t put on as long or as good of a show. Next year we will adjust. The last show started an hour late, but it was because we had fifteen boys from the Tupelo Children’s Mansion show up for the noon show and it took awhile to process them all through the ID program. Only one lady got mad and we were able to serve the waiting audience food before the show instead of after.

The delay didn’t faze Dorian; he put on the third show with just as much energy and excitement as the previous two. He put on a show that made the crowd forget the waiting time. I enjoy dealing with someone with a good work ethic. Those boys from the children’s mansion stayed after the show and helped stack the chairs. It all worked out fine. One thing I noticed about this magician, he had the timing required to obtain the predictive response from the kids in the audience. This skill allowed all the kids in the audience to feel involved in the show and he did without being too unoriginal. I saw even the shy, introverted kids open up and get involved.

Even though my legs were hurting, I was able to go home in a good mood about the show, plus I got to see some cool magic tricks. www.magicbydorian.com
www.mansionkids.org

Today is a day for family and friends. Christy has to work part of the day, retail. Holidays used to be about the holiday and celebrating; now it is about increasing sales. Everything is on sale plus stores expect increased profits. Makes you wonder about the actual value of the product in the first place. What is the cliché? You can go broke saving money.

Have a happy holiday and drive safe.

Mysterious Ways

There is an old cliché stating “God works in mysterious ways.” It’s true and to those who don’t believe that, I feel sorry for you.

I normally avoid any religious discussions on purpose. Religion is often a major source of argument and disagreements. I believe that religious beliefs are “extremely” personal and totally individual. I am sure I am very open-minded about religion much more than most people and less than a minimum few. I don’t think I was put on this earth to judge who is right or wrong concerning religion. I will not tell any believer they are wrong and other than an atheist don’t think anyone is wrong. I certainly would not engage in an argument with an atheist. I am a strong believer in “free will.” The book I am reading explains that the Druid sun god was born on December 25th. That doesn’t mean that it is blasphemy and certainly there can be parallels in pagan beliefs as well and Christian beliefs. One thing humans have is the free will to believe or not to believe; plus, God does nothing to interfere with that human privilege. Free will is a gift.

I guess what caused my feelings of being blessed today is my in-laws. My father-in-law and brother-in-law built a special trailer to pull behind a four-wheeler so I could ride into the woods to deer hunt. They know I have bad legs and made this effort to help me. I didn’t ask them to and didn’t expect it. They just thought it up and built it. When Christy and I went by her parent’s house this afternoon, they were outside. My father-in-law couldn’t wait for me to see this trailer and we actually finished it this evening. It is rather a neat little design.

My point is that I am married to my third wife; the first two didn’t work out too well. I had come to the conclusion that I would forever remain single and really never expected to be married again. I had dated a few women but basically they weren’t much to brag about either. My good friends had formed a committee to screen any potential partners in an effort to prevent me from any further bad relationships. I was told that not only do I attract the crazy ones, but I would talk to them too.

Then boom, five years ago I met Christy. She lost her first husband to a tragic illness. I remember when it happened and knew about it from my friends who were kin to her first husband. After she moved back to Mississippi to help with her parents after her father’s heart attack, we met. Long story short, we slipped around and went out while her sister- in-law who is the wife of a good friend was in the hospital having a baby. The relationship stuck and developed. She is much younger than I am, but that obviously hasn’t made a difference. It has been a wonderful relationship and a great marriage. My family thinks the world of my new wife. Her family and I also get along great. I must be doing something right, they built a special trailer for me. This is really the first true “in-laws” experience I have been allowed to have. My previous two wives didn’t really want me around their parents. I guess they were afraid the fact that I’m not really Satan would come out.

I don’t act any differently around my in-laws. Any time they have asked me to do something, I have always responded happily. It is easy to be myself. We have shared a lot of laughter and fun over the past almost five years. I am very grateful for this gift of a good marriage I have been blessed with. I guess the secret is to not look, but to drop back and allow faith to take place.

I always feel weird when someone does something nice for me. I guess I am more experienced with conflict. I always think it is my place to be the one to do something nice for someone else. It was a lot of fun helping them finalize the construction of this trailer and figure out some of the details. Hopefully we will also have to use this trailer to haul a deer out of the woods this year.

My only advice is to count your blessings. Don’t take a good marriage, parents, children, friends, or positive relationships with your in-laws for granted. Not everyone has the same benefits and until you know otherwise you really have no idea how blessed you are.

First of November

The last few days I have been in a good mood, which has not been normal for the first of November.

Last Friday I made a crock-pot full of chili which turned out nice. I used some beef loin rather than ground beef. I didn't make it spicy as per Christy's request but it turned out delicious, even if I say so myself....

Saturday I went with my Bother in law to get my new rifle sighted in by a gunsmith. He was closed, so Christy and I went back today. This guy lives out in the boonies but uses a computer and a special mount to sight in scopes. I will go test it out before I go hunting. My Father in law swears by this guy's work. This gunsmith also used to make knives so it was a fun visit. BUT that is not why I was in a good mood rather than my usual All Saints Day depression.....

On November 1st, 1981, my first wife left with my two children stating she would return in three weeks. She said she was going to visit with her Mother in Oklahoma giving me some relief while I found a job. I had been laid off a couple of weeks earlier....She failed to return. It is not easy to explain my first wife.

Long story short and avoiding various details and nonsense....I lost contact with my children and had no idea even where they were until last year.....I got a hint they were in Pennsylvania in 1995 but I never actually found them. Efforts were made to prevent me from knowing their location....all it really did was increase my desire to find my two children.....I searched.....for years I searched.....

The Internet aided me in my search efforts but for years I had no luck.....I even drove through Pennsylvania looking through telephone books but with no luck.....

Fast forward....I finally found my daughter last year on the Internet and called her up....The first of July 2008.....We immediately connected or reconnected and have enjoyed a wonderful father/daughter relationship....even though we live a 1000 miles apart, she has a wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters of her own, we stay in contact. I was able to visit with her this past April and we enjoyed a week together....

Now that this is the second November I am enjoying after reconnecting with my long lost daughter....I noticed the absence of the depression I had for so many years not knowing...for 27 years I faced each Halloween and All Saints Day feeling bad because I was missing out on my two children....Now I don't have that situation anymore.....

My son still hasn't decided if he wants to reconnect and I have to give him time and room to decide...He was only two months old when I last saw him and he really doesn't know me. Plus I am sure he hasn't been told anything good about me...Maybe someday.

Thankfully I have my daughter and thankfully we were able to reconnect. Now we communicate through various means on a regular basis. The initial phase of reacquainting is over and our communication is a regular habit....We don't focus on the past or the whys. We live in the present and enjoy knowing each other. We share a lot of laughter and joint happiness.

My good mood replaced the sadness of the past. Now having a daughter is normal. In the past year and a half we have had several telephone conversations, e-mails, Twitter and Facebook messages....(Several is putting it mildly more like a whole bunch and more). I have an entire sub-directory of photographs of my granddaughters....My daughter set up this blog for me.....I finally get to tell her I love her and she can hear me....I never forgot her or denied she was mine....Maybe someday my son will wake up and see who I really am...

Now this November came about with a different tone. My thoughts and feelings are different....thoughts of my children are different now....I can focus on other things and know that whatever those thing are I can always talk to my daughter about them. I can tell her the silly things I said, we can laugh and share.....My father died in November 1993 and I even miss him...I wish I could tell him about my daughter and his great-grandchildren....I look around this year and see new babies in our family.....parents and children should not be separated....Do not take your family for granted...You might not realize what you are missing until you have lost them...and if you are ever denied your children or parents you will understand...I was lucky in having a second chance with my daughter and trust me I don't take it for granted....I am saddened by my son's reaction but out of respect I won't hound him....My daughter just had a birthday in October. She said her husband said she was getting old but I told her no, this was only the fourth birthday I have been able to tell her Happy Birthday....

Now I can call my baby girl up and tell her about the chili or the scope sighting or my wife's new niece or my new great-niece or the Shrine Club or anything....any I am sure she will fill me in on my granddaughters and the large cartoon characters she saw this past week.

I like this new November....feels good.....

Another Article and blogging on Freemasonry

Another newsletter done, another article…..

I’m up too late; again, with my mind racing full bore, again. I labeled and mailed the November issue of the Lee County Shrine Club newsletter today. One of the main reasons for this blog is for me to share my articles on a somewhat wider scale. The following article was influenced by two items, one is the huge book I am attempting to digest, “The Secret Teachings of ALL AGES” by Manley P. Hall and the television special with Dan Brown, author of “The Lost Symbol” and Matt Lauer.

I don’t intend to preach in my articles but rather invoke the various readers to think. We constantly are discussing ways to get members of our Masonic Lodges and Shrine Clubs to get involved, take an interest, attend our meetings and participate. This article was inspired by the early lesson “Seek and ye shall find.” This primary tenet of Freemasonry and life in general is, in my opinion, often overlooked. Freemasons have to seek out the wisdom and enlightenment which Freemasonry has to offer.

Have modern Freemasons forgotten the teachings of our Masonic forefathers? How many Masons today believe that only memorizing degree work is Masonry? How many Freemasons today know about Masonic scholars like Mitchell, Mackey, Pike, Allen, McCoy, Waite, and Coil? On October 1, 1988 in the preface to the Diamond Jubilee Edition of “The Secret Teachings of ALL AGES” Manley P. Hall, after he became a Freemason, wrote, “We were told that the twentieth century was the most progressive that the world has ever known, but unfortunately the progression was in the direction of self-destruction.” He could be talking about society or just the Masonic Lodge, this statement fits both. A brother Mason with considerable Masonic experience, who is long gone now, once told me that Freemasonry goes in circles, it decreases and then increases years later and this is how Masonry has been for centuries. Hopefully he was right. Hopefully the newer generation will find a way to rid us present day internal politics and desire for rank. Hopefully they can take the basic tenets of the craft and return the lodge to the fraternity it once was and can always be again. I wish the leaders of the present would look up from their own pedestals and ask why Freemasonry is getting more recognition from a novel than the actual fraternity.

The events locally of the past week have been extra troubling. I have a friend, someone I trust and strongly respect, do something without logic or reason. It was like watching him walk off a cliff without warning or reason. This is someone I would stand on my toenails and defend until blood shot out of my eyeballs, but he allowed me nothing to defend. He didn’t consult me beforehand and didn’t discuss it with me afterwards. When he was called on it, he displayed anger and even arrogance. This incidence has disturbed me to point I have been physically ill over it. I have no way to logically defend or justify his actions. I don’t think he intended to do harm, but his actions resulted in negative consequences. I know he is angry at me. His anger also has no rhyme or reason because I had nothing to do with his actions and I didn’t encourage the outcome. I am at a loss for a solution.

This incident of the past week, which came about after the following article was written and before it was sent out, made me think about the duality of Freemasonry. The Masonic Lodge has a very major group dynamic. The body of the craft coming together, meeting in tiled lodges is a landmark of Freemasonry. Masonic teachings and enlightenment depends on a group of obligated brothers seeking a single goal. Masons once accepted into the Masonic Lodge and especially after obtaining the third degree or Master Masons degree will see their lives changed. Since my entrance into the lodge in 1987, not a day has gone by without some form of Masonic relationship. My primary life now includes Masonic relationships. My closest friends are Masons. Freemasonry is not for everybody, but for those it does reach it will make a difference.

The singular sector of a Masonic life is that individual effort a Mason will make to seek more light. To be a Master Mason in good standing a man has to do nothing more than pay his annual dues. You don’t have to attend or learn anything more than what it would take to progress from first, to second then third degree. You can do nothing more than belong and you will be as much a Mason as any man. Some never become more than a “Card Carrying Mason” and some will seek more.

The ones that do seek more, looking for more answers and enlightenment are the ones that keep Freemasonry alive. Those studying, researching, asking, and seeking Masonic knowledge, history and philosophy are the masons that grow the craft. To me it’s not enough to know the ritual work but to know the “why” of the rituals. I truly admire the Masons that know the degree work and various lectures. I think it is extremely important to keep this vital portion of the Lodge intact. I think the men that have the skill to learn this work should be encouraged and supported by all lodges. The only thing that distresses me about “memorized” rituals is the men that believe that this all there is to it. Don’t just memorize the words but also “learn” the words. Discover what the rituals are teaching, where they came from, and why the ritual is important. Seek. Ponder on the true lessons of the working tools. Look at what is basic and why, learn and assimilate the basics of the Masonic tenets. Then you can find the more complicated and esoteric messages woven into the whole of the craft. There is no true rank in Freemasonry other than the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Any Mason believing he is more important or above another Mason has missed the point.

Like the common stop signs we see on our streets. No question you learned at an early age that this octagon shape means stop. We know this, we abide by it daily and we take it for granted that everyone driving a car also understands the meaning of this sign. This is the group dynamic. Some will go forever never thinking about it further than applying the brakes. Some will be necessary to teach new drivers the meaning of this road sign and other signs as well. There will be a few that will ask why. Who decided on the shape? When did it become a standard? How worldwide is this sign? This is the singular dynamic. The ones that believe that the stop sign doesn’t apply to them are the ones that cause the destruction.

Freemasonry needs all of us. Freemasonry needs the students, the ritualists, the teachers, historians, record keepers, philosophers and the harmony preservers. The man teaching a candidate is equally important as the man in the kitchen cooking or the man keeping the records. They all formulate a successful lodge. Harmony is a group dynamic supported by many singular efforts. The one Masonic dynamic that we cannot control is the human factor. Freemasons are human and therefore fallible. There is such a thing as a bad Mason.

Freemasonry is too important to the world to allow it to be taken for granted. Freemasonry is not a step ladder to materialistic increase. Freemasonry is a way of life within the internal temple of man. Learn something new about Freemasonry and bring it to your lodge so your brothers can likewise benefit. I hope you enjoy the following article.

Seek & You Might Find Something…
By Melvin Ford


Last week I watched the TV special with Dan Brown, author of The Lost Symbol and The DaVinci Code. In my opinion, this special basically had the underlying purpose of selling books, both the most recent and the next novel he alluded to in the interview. Freemasonry is featured in the interview and this could very well generate an interest in the craft to non-masons. His novel The Lost Symbol has a background of Freemasonry in it. Even though I found some basic errors in his book as well as the interview, I don’t believe either one to show Freemasonry in a negative light. I was very pleased to see the TV special mention the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children and even show Shriners on parade.

I noted that one person in this special stated that if you like bake sales then you will like the Masonic Lodge. I guess we aren’t as dangerous as some conspiracy theorists might believe. We truly aren’t the dynamic social and political force that the Freemasons of our nation’s past once knew. Both Masonic and Shriners membership has fallen to dangerous levels. The average age of Lodge members and Shiners alike is now up above 70 years of age. Some of it is normal changes in the social and economic times and some is totally our fault for not seeing the obvious signs before us.

If a Mason desires to learn our rituals, it is easy for him to find someone to teach him. We have schools and special gatherings all the time for the learning of our various degrees. What if you, as a Mason desired to learn the history, symbolism and philosophy of that same ritualistic presentation? Who would you ask? There are several Masonic authors but in the most recent decades the authors that have brought positive attention to Freemasonry were not masons. I remember in my early years as a Mason I attended a Grand Lodge Congressional School. I was bold enough to ask the question, “Why do we do that?” I got told because we always have done that. I think Congressional schools are great and I encourage you to attend, but I was not satisfied with that answer. So in the spirit of not being a lemming, I sought the answer to my question on my own and actually found the answer. A lesson I have long remembered because of the incident.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a ritualistic scholar, but I truly desire to learn all I can absorb about Freemasonry and its teachings, symbols and history. The Masonic ritual is extremely important to our Lodges and I encourage all Masons to learn everything they can. Even now after several years of Lodge membership and once again serving as Master of a Lodge; when I recite the opening or closing my mind shifts into thoughts of why, origin and definition of the words. So I get lost. I applaud those members that can recite the various paragraphs of ritual work in a way that is very impressive. Each year I become even more impressed with the wisdom of our Masonic forefathers. I believe if you really want to obtain more light you have to make the effort to seek it and keep an open mind about the origins of Freemasonry, its rituals and any religious parallels.

One thing I did gain from the Dan Brown special was the mention of a book which I am presently reading. It’s not light reading but I am discovering some interesting knowledge. The book is The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manley P. Hall published in 1928. I guess in spite of any errors I found in the mentions of Freemasons in Brown’s book and the TV special, I was inspired to seek out more information and history concerning our craft. While doing a little on-line research into Manly P. Hall, 33º I found this excerpt from his book The Lost Keys of Freemasonry.

The true Master Mason recognizes the value of seeking for truth wherever he can find it. It makes no difference if it be in the enemy’s camp; if it be truth, he will go there gladly to secure it. The Masonic Lodge is universal; therefore all true Masons will seek through the extremities of creation for their Light. The true brother of the Craft knows and applies one great paradox. He must search for the high things in lowly places and find the lowly things in high places. The Mason who feels holier than his fellow man has raised a barrier around himself through which no light can pass, for the one who in truth is the greatest is the servant of all. Many brethren make a great mistake in building a wall around their secrets, for they succeed only in shutting out their own light. Their divine opportunity is at hand. The time has come when the world needs the Ancient Wisdom as never before. Let the Mason stand forth and by living the doctrines which he preaches show to his brother man the glory of his work. He holds the keys to truth; let him unlock the door, and with his life and not his words preach the doctrine which he has so long professed.


This passage hits home in so many ways. Timely for this time of year when we as a Shrine Club are going to elect officers for next year. When Masonic Lodges in Mississippi are looking to elect officers for their next year and when Hamasa has its whole unwritten future ahead of us. Don’t sit by and wait. Either you desire to be involved or not. You know what you truly want to be involved with and I surely hope you aren’t waiting for someone else to make the first move. Neither youth nor age is a deterrent; find your niche in your fraternity. From a Shrine Club standpoint, gather your spouse or significant other and come to our meetings. We are long overdue for a good old fashioned party anyway. You never know you might have a good time and even help out a child. Seek what you desire in your fraternity.

More blogging about books….

Since my last blog about books and mentioning “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown I have read two other novels and started a third.

The next book I read after Dan’s latest offering was “A Spy By Nature” by Charles Cumming. He is a British author that I discovered from Facebook. Charles Cumming sent me a friend request and not knowing who he was I looked him up. He is a fellow Daniel Silva Facebook friend from London. So I figured what the heck, any fan of Daniel has got to be ok. I accepted his friend request and the next time I was at Barnes & Noble I ordered one of his books. “A Spy By Nature” published in 2001 was the only Charles Cumming’s novel they had in stock in the warehouse. I have to say, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by him. I found the British viewpoint interesting and entertaining, being an American. One thing I noticed was that it was very realistic and believable. I was very pleased towards the end when he doesn’t skirt around it and allowed the truth to jump out. I am not a literary expert; I am just a reader so I guess the fact that I will be purchasing more of Charles Cumming’s work says enough.

I had such a good time reading the Cumming novel I went ahead and dove into “The Dark of The Sun” by Wilbur Smith. I first read Wilbur Smith in the seventies starting with his Egyptian novels, “River God” and “The Seventh Scroll.” I had always read for pleasure all during high school. When I spent six months flat of my back either in traction or a body cast, I read several books. I think what attracted me to these novels of ancient Egypt was that I was looking for something deeper. These first two books I read made me a Wilbur Smith fan. When I read his recent Egyptian novel “The Quest” I got to wondering if he had become darker in his writing. After finishing his last offering “Assegai” my curiosity increased about his work. Had his writing become darker more mystical and even more sensual in nature? So I picked up a paperback copy of “The Dark of The Sun” in an effort to see for myself. This is his second novel published in 1965.

Did I find a difference in his 1965 work versus his present day offerings? Yes, but not the difference I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed “The Dark of The Sun” and the African mercenary tale. What I saw was that his more recent writings are smoother and more visual in nature. His story line flows better and the action sequences grip the reader more. One example was the big game hunting portions that were featured in “Assegai” as easily compared to the shooting of water buffalo for food in “The Dark of The Sun” novel. “Assegai” will excite any hunter with the descriptions of the hunt and kill. The 1965 version was still enjoyable but I could see the author’s improvement in skill. The dark human element was there as well as the sensual aspect, I guess his writing style has improved to the degree these elements became more prominent to the reader. So after thirty-two published novels in several languages since 1964, Wilbur Smith hasn’t allowed his work to degrade. It is no secret why he is considered one of the best, if not the best, historical novelist. Personally I am more impressed with the content of his books over the mass marketing campaigns I see of others.

The book I am presently reading is a novel I found on a bargain sale. I think I only paid a couple of bucks for it. Being a bibliophile I like looking over the bargain tables. I have found some interesting books some of which that are an author’s first novel. Finding novels like “The Man Who Ate the 747” by Ben Sherwood and Adriana Trigiani is the reward for looking over bargain tables. I basically have more books than bookshelves but refuse to discard any of them.

The present bargain book I am reading is “The Law of Gravity” by Dennis Morgan Cottrell published in 1995. This is his first novel and from what I have found on the Internet, so far his only novel. What induced me to spend a couple of bucks on this novel was his opening line, “I suspect that most everybody living below the Mason-Dixon Line has heard of me,” How Southern is that?

I guess every author stresses over the first line. It is only human nature to want your own “Call me Ishmael”, “All this happened, more or less” or “Who is John Galt?” Those first key words sometimes sell the book. I am not a novelist but I do write articles for my Shrine Club newsletter, so I also want to grab the reader in the first paragraph so they will want to read more. I can only imagine what a writer goes through in deciding on the elements which make up the marketing of his work. Title, cover art and the synopsis all must take up considerable time and effort. I know if you include a knife on the cover art; I am going to pick it up and look the book over. I also noticed once I owned several red colored books, go figure. There is a lot less stress in buying bargain books; if the novel sucks you can always use it to prop up a couch with a broken leg. I have found more good ones than bad ones though; something to read while you are waiting for your favorite authors to crank out a new one.

I am still in the early stages of “The Law of Gravity” but so far I have found it enjoyable and different from novels I usually gravitate towards. (Pun intended) The author is doing a beautiful job of telling the tale from the perspective of a dirt poor thirteen year old boy. I will finish it while Daniel is locked in a room with Gabriel and until I can get to the north side of town to pick up Charles Cumming’s latest releases. I have no idea what Wilbur is up to but maybe number 33 is in his head.

On a personal note: My father-in-law bought me a new scope for my rifle, so hopefully I will get to have my own hunting sequence this year. Maybe I can bloody up one of the “several” custom made knives I own. I donated one that I have owned for several years and never used to my lodge last night. We are going to raffle it off to raise a little money for the lodge. So I’m in a pretty good mood.