Monday, March 10, 2008

I'm Sorry But I Can't Tell You

Just got back from lodge tonight, and it's always funny when I talk to friends or relations about it and they'll ask questions, and there are just certain things I can't say. I took an oath people, and I'm not going to talk to the uninitiated about it. For instance, I was talking to my buddy Solomon tonight and told him I had to go to lodge. Then he started to send me text messages asking about it and my response just had to be "Sorry, I can't say." I love it. It drives people nuts.

I had a boss at Office Max, and his uncle was a Mason, and Ray would tell me that his uncle would tell him about a bull and some crazy stuff, and when he'd ask me about that, I just couldn't tell him. My dad asked about it too, when I joined. He joked about secret handshakes and passwords and all that. He didn't think I was serious when I told him that it was all secret. As my father-in-law says, though, if you really want to know about it, just go to the library. It's all there somewhere.

After lodge I was talking with one of the other guys about how it must have been nice to be a Mason when being a Mason meant something. Today, except among other Masons, it really doesn't mean anything to be a Mason. There was a time when men wanted to become Masons and people understood and respected what they did. Now, at least in Illinois, the Masonic culture is struggling to live as it's members are growing older and dying. There are very few young Masons that I've seen in my area. I've talked to my friends about whether or not they want to join, but everyone's too busy nowadays, and there's no interest. It seems like something needs to be done if the trend is going to change, but maybe it's already too late.

1 comment:

Tania said...

My dad was the youngest person at his lodge for years and years, he turns 62 this year. Stonecutters do some good things, but a shift does need to be made to make it relevant to a modern culture.