Thursday, January 28, 2010

Metaphor

Your a classic car enthusiast. You have always loved them and seen them in the periphery of your vision but you never had the gumption to get one and take on what it is to own one. One day you are driving down the street and you see one poking its grill out of a garage and you are inspired. It looks a bit dusty but underneath the dust is one of those beautiful pieces of steel and chrome and rubber that makes your heart skip a beat. It was made in the heyday of the automobile when bigger was better and beauty was prised over aerodynamics. The symmetry and style exude class like nothing else on the road today so you stop your car and walk your way up the steps of the front porch to the door of the house.
There is a well worn brass handle and an ornate knocker and for a minute you think about hopping back into your car and driving away because you already have a car and it gets you from A to B which is what a car is supposed to do but there is something that holds you at the entry. With trepidation you reach out for the knocker and lift it ever so gently amazed by the weight of the thing in your hands and you let it fall.
Knock
Knock
Knock
Then silence.
After a seemingly extraordinary amount of time your hear a stirring from within and a gray haired old man opens the door a crack and says "who is it?" You can see his stern gaze from within.
"Hello. I'm your neighbor from around the corner and I noticed that beautiful old car in your garage and I was wondering if you would like to talk about it?"
At the mention of the old auto the old mans face changed and he threw the door open and thrust out his hand for a shake. "Come in, come in I always have time to talk about my wonderful car." The twinkle in his eyes revealed a tremendous pride and love for this thing.
He ushers you in and you spend the next hour talking to him about all sorts of stuff but mostly his prized car.
You explain to him of your sincere interest and you then take a walk out to the garage and all of a sudden you are right next to it and it is amazing. It was definitely taken care of as you already knew from your conversation before but the layer of dust on it indicates that it had not been used as of late. The old man then tells you that it has been hard for him as of late to use it but opens the door and tells you to go ahead and start it. As you slide into the well worn leather that old car smell fills your senses as you turn the ornate key and the old thing grumbles to life.
WOW! What a sound it makes! Nothing on four wheels today has that deep rumble that echoes in the old garage and you are sold. You spend the next couple of months visiting the old man and his car and grow to love it and eventually he agrees to hand the keys over to you.
The day comes to take it out for the first time and your heart is about to leap from your chest. You had dusted it off and kicked the tires and sat in the drivers seat for the first time with the intention of driving it somewhere. You turn the keys again and it comes to life with the gentle touch of a lover you ease the car into drive and it moves! Oh what a thrill! You feel like royalty driving such a magnificent automobile as you idle your way to the road at the end of the driveway and as you turn onto the road ahead and step on the gas there is no response! The car just remains in idle. You tap the accelerator again and again no response. You park the car and go back to the gentle old and ask him what is going on?
He sheepishly looks up and tells you that's all it can do.
Its been that way for so long that he doesn't even know how to get it to move any faster and asks "Why do you want it to go any faster? It's fine the way it is. Just look at how beautiful it is!"
"Because you just can't travel todays roads at that speed" I regretfully say.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Successful Install!


Take one AGM in a Tux cowboy boots and hat, one Senior Warden, a Derby, some Prince Hall, United Grand Lodge of England, and Grand Lodge of Connecticut Brethren, and unlike poor Tom Accuosti's latest ubuntu attempt, you have one successful installation!
Thanks to all!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Night Before....

Twas the night before installation
and all through my head
the year that was coming
kept me from my bed.
The Brothers, the lodge
and the ritual so dear
will be my responsibility
for the upcoming year.
So I did what I do
I grabbed my netbook
to give all my favorite
Masonic Blogs a quick look.
First to the Tao
and Tom and his wit
on being brought to light....
on Linux? Bull ****
The Taper was filled
with more Halcyon stuff
while the Metaphysical Freemason
doing some Papal fluff.
Chequered Carpet hasn't written
in nearly a year.
But the Renaissance is back
so we need no longer fear
Justa Mason is sadly mourning
a fine lady Auntie Grace
and Paul Chapin went off on
some peacocks, full pace.
Its not Lodgical that Grail Quest
don't post much no more.
Masonic Traveler welcomed many
to Freemason Informations wide door.
The dead Masonic Blogroll
would keep me writing all night
so lets all welcome back
From Darkness to Light!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

MMM 1.0


I have been criminally neglectful of my blog but like usual I have a lot of excuses, well sort of, I am a recent addition to the national unemployment statistic and for the first time in my adult life I do not have a full time job. Although that should give me loads of time to write I actually find that my time seems to disappear faster now than when I was working 60 hour weeks! Just before I was handed a pink slip I was, in my spare time, going full speed ahead with trying to organize and lay out the ground work for my lodge to purchase a building we could call our own. I had been working and politicking like mad for the last couple meetings to test the waters and gather support for my dream. I found a building, checked the resources, examined the charter and rules and regulations, and one by one I started to talk to the Brethren to get their ideas and see if they liked mine.
Simultaneously I started the hard work of gathering and weeding out the Brothers who I would be calling on for help over the next year. I wanted to surround myself with a corps of officers that I knew I could count on because the last thing you need to do as WM is make sure your officers will be at the next lodge meeting. Luckily our membership has increased a such a pace that I didn't have to rely on a couple of choices but had a good quarry to search in.
All of this action led up to our lodges annual meeting and election of officers. It was going to be a big night for me in a couple ways. I prepared a power point presentation to go along with my speech about my dream of a building of our own but due to unforeseen circumstances I arrived just before the meeting started and was not able to set up.
After opening the lodge the WM stated to the gathered craft that I had an important speech and off I went. I spoke from my heart and used my head and although I ruffled a few feathers I received majority support for my idea so we'll see how that goes. My little speech did however cost me a unanimous vote to be WM. The worst thing is is that the numerous votes for me could not outshine the one vote cast for "jachin". Regardless I was elected to serve as the 245th Worshipful Master of "old St. Johns".
So, on this coming Thursday January 7th 2010 I will be installed and my reign of terror will begin!
Just Kidding! It just fit so perfectly into that sentence.
For real, I am so thrilled to assume the oriental chair and I hope I can accomplish all that I want to do never has a year ahead seemed so short.
If you are in my area next week come on by it should be a good night!