Last night my wife and I attended the stated meeting dinner for the Masonic Chapter I want to join. When we first got there I was really nervous. It was going to be the first time I would meet many of the members and I wanted to make a good impression, plus I didn’t know what to expect. As we sat there in the parking lot I gathered up more and more courage until we finally got out and walked in. When we went in I found the Worshipful Master, the person who has helped me through the process since day one. He took me around, introduced me to a couple people and then they introduced me to a couple more, and on this process went. Finally it was time to eat.
We sat down at our own table, by ourselves, I guess everyone has their designated tables, unofficially of course. Luckily several of the members came to sit with us. The Senior Warden, Junior Deacon, the Officer Coach/Past Master, and a newly raised Master Mason were there with us. They had a lot of information to share with me and they were all so nice. They really made me feel comfortable and that I could someday really belong to this chapter and really fit in.
Yes, many of the men there were twice my age or more. But I didn’t really care about that as much as I thought I might. I knew that there were a majorityof older men in this organization when I started onsidering joining and that I was somewhat of a rarity, with my youth, but after I got in there the lines of age just seemed to blur together and everyone seemed equal. I guess that is part of what freemasonry does. It doesn’t matter your wealth, status, or occupation, everyone there is equal, and a brother.
My petition was read at the meeting last night and now that means I will soon participate in the Masonic Investigation. After talking to those guys last night I am feeling much more comfortable about it and in a way looking forward to it. It will give me an opportunity to meet some more of the members and will give me a one-on-one opportunity to ask them some questions. I am sure everything will turn out ok, it’s just the waiting that is the hardest part. I am glad, though, that summer is coming. I will be able to devote a lot of time to studying and hopefully smoke right through the degrees and become an active Master really soon.
More light to come…………………..
So, it has been a while since I have made a post, mostly in part to it being band director camp is finished and school has started. So, I really haven’t had anything that has pissed me off or made me turn my head and say “WHAT?!” This has been the case until today. My dear wife decided she needed a quick fix, so she ventured out to one of our local Starbucks and got us both something to drink. Pretty much the only drink I have there is a java chip frapuccino, a fabulously creamy blend of coffe, chocolate chips, and whipped cream. It is like drinking a soft fluffy pillow when it is made correctly. However, I have noticed over the years that the quality of my fluffy pillow has started to decline. It seems like every time I get this drink there is another ingredient that makes it into the mix a little more than it should, ice! Now, yes, I understand that ice is an essential part of making a frapuchino, but is it too much to ask that they actually blend in the ice instead of leaving them floating in my drink like little glaciers?! It is so bad that anywhere you place the straw you can’t avoid the icy expanses of the grande sized cup. Scientist say that the polar ice caps are melting, well, I can say I found them…..in my frapuccino!
I think the saddest thing about this entire situation besides the fact that I am taking my dental health into my own hands trying to drink this arctic habitat, is that no one really seems to care about the drinks in which they are serving at their establishment. In the hurried frenzy of trying to get drinks out to the extremely hectic, demanding, and rude working people of America, they seemed to of forgotten that they need to serve quality products! That is the whole point of running a business, right? To serve your customers the best possible product that you can, encouraging return investments when they come back the next day, and every day for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, it seems as though that Starbucks doesn’t care about this, or that they have reached the coveted position in retail food where you no longer need to worry about quality because the lemmings will continue on their normal path of destruction every day regardless of some frosty penguin friends swimming in their drink. Maybe I am expecting too much. Maybe I am expected to be lulled into the every day humdrum that the other commuters of the world are in. Do not ask questions, do as we say, and pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Last night I attended a huge gala event to recognize the camp director here at ABC. This guy has taught for so many years, and knows a lot of really talented, and popular people in the music world. It is unbelievable how much this one person has done for the field of music in his career. Although I don’t agree with a lot of the things he has done, or how he has done them, it is hard to not see how much he has contributed to the profession, and the art.
The main point that I want to discuss is how will we/I be remembered, or will we/I. I know that I would love to have a huge celebration like this in honor of my accomplishments, or contributions someday, but will anyone feel the need to do this, or will I really deserve something of this magnitude? At this event there were people flown in from all over the world, just to conduct pieces, give a speech, or to commission a piece music for this guy. That is truly amazing, and I wonder, would people do this for me? I know that I am still young and I have not had the time to contribute to my profession like this gentleman has, but what lies ahead for me? Will I be something great, or will I just be some normal person that people forget abot shortly after I am gone?
I think everyone wants to be remembered, but what is memory worthy? Is showing up to work everyday, and giving everything you have to kids, teaching them to learn music worth being remembered, or do you have to take on some gigantic feat, and make some break through in your profession? I don’t think anyone really knows. I think people are remembered for many reasons, but you just have to hope you are someone that people want to remember.
Next time you are doing something, ask yourself, will I always be remembered for this, or will I simply fade away into eternity?
