Super Fat Tuesday

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, bottle of whisky in one hand and chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...

"WOO HOO, What a Ride"

Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday. It is, coincidentially the day that 24 states are holding their primaries to help pick the next leader of this country (I am not sure that part of the day is going to be fun but it is quite a ride.)

Joie de vivre (from the French joie, "joy"; de, "of"; vivre, "to live, living"; "the joy of living") is a term used to express a cheerful enjoyment of life. Joie de vivre, as one scholar has written, "can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, involving one's whole being."

OK, This post is about the joy of living and along with that the Joy of Freemasonry. As I have been reading posts over at the Philalethes Society list I think I see a lot of people who get their joy out of complaining. There are Masons like that. Nothing the Lodge or the Master does satisfies them and they have to complain about it. Others find nothing to complain about for the same experience. I suppose it is the glass half full/half empty thing again.

I was involved in a couple of Masonic organizations last summer and it was not a good experience. I was not having fun. So I took a wise Mason's advice and listened when he said to me "If you are not having fun, why are you doing it?" I withdrew from them. I think in the long run it was a wise decision on my part. I don't think they were heading in the right direction and for me at least it was better to leave than suffer the frustrations involved.

I watch people in Masonry. Most of us are having fun. We experience great joy in being with our Brothers and in accomplishing goals and aims involved in being active in the fraternity. For us there is great satisfaction when we do something right. I was asked to help out with the Chapter School last Saturday. Now I have not been a local officer for years. Past Grand High Priests have an obligation to support the organization but not to run it or tell everyone else what to do. I have pro temed an office or two when needed. Anyway I got to do the Captain of the Host's part in the opening of the school. And it was fun. I enjoyed it. I knew the part and the High Priest and I were efficient in getting the opening going. If I had not known the part and had to stumble through it I might not have had as much fun doing it. But I was able to pick what I wanted to do and enjoyed myself.

Lodge meetings and Masonry should bring us joy. Not necessarily the laughter, Ha, Ha, Ha joy we have at times but the joy of being with friends and Brothers and knowing that we are doing something worthwhile and good. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is..." That is what it is all about. When we go home after a meeting we should be able to look back on the events of the meeting and feel good about them. That is joy.

Another joy we get from Freemasonry is when we help others. We are not a service organization and so our primary purpose is not to do good and be charitable but because of the tenets of Brotherly love, relief and truth Masons do good work and they give millions of dollars a day to help others. The Shrine is probably one of the best examples of this, Yes I know a lot of people criticize the Shrine but I won't. I read a story on one of the blogs that I regularly read about how a man and his family were called up on stage at a meeting and how he told that his little boy would have had to crawl up the steps before the Shriner's hospitals helped him. They do good things and they have fun while they do it. The only criticism is that some of them (some not all) drink too much and give the rest of them a bad name. But if you look beyond that most of their activities are good and well motivated. I can still recall how great it felt when I had to be in the hospital over Christmas to have Santa Shriner come in with a stocking of goodies for me.

I was looking at some faces around me and I was wondering why they were there. They didn't seem like they were having fun. It bothered me. I wish that everyone could get the fun and satisfaction out of just being a Mason that I do. Going to the meetings and being with Brothers is fun....or it should be.

For some the collection of titles and rank seems to be "fun" - I have never asked for any position or office. For me the title Brother brings me great satisfaction and joy. I grew up as an only child until I was ten years old and my sister was born. Now to have untold numbers of brothers around is a great thing which brings me joy. I enjoy (most of) them and will drive halfway across the state to be with them for a reception or a degree (if asked) - As for titles, I don't ordinarily use mine. If I do it goes after my name not before it. One guy always signs his posts R.W. He doesn't know or understand that R.W. like Dr. is something others use when they address you and you should never use it on yourself. But he gets some sort of satisfaction out of doing it and I have "fun" knowing he is incorrectly using it. Go figure.

I was watching a little guy at the Scottish Rite Installation and Christmas Party. He would climb up on a step and jump down. He did it over and over againg and he had this great big grin on his face. He was having fun and you could tell it. Sometimes you can tell when someone is having fun and at other times you can't. I may not always "read" a person's expression correctly to know if they are having fun or not but I would hope that everyone who participates in Freemasonry looks at is not as a chore - something to get over and done with so they can move on- but as a place where they are loved and valued and that they will get true joy from being a member.

One of my "joys" is my blog. I know that may sound stupid but when I check the list to see where people who read my blog are from I find joy in knowing that people from Paris, France; Jakarta, Indonesia; Maidenhead, United Kingdom; Tyler, TX, and Ames, Iowa including points in between are reading my blog. I would love to have some more of you introduce yourselves with a paragraph I can post. Just send me an e-mail and if you want a picture. I would bing me great joy to meet you.

Stay happy, enjoy life RYAL. Big Hugs,,the snow is starting. j-bear