This and That.

Patrick Swazye died today. I enjoyed his movies. My favorite was Dirty Dancing and if you click on the picture on the right you can go to You Tube and see the Last Dance. They won't let me embed it. I also liked Ghost but am not sure it was because of him or because of Whoopi

You can read a news article about it here.

Another death this week was Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug. His story is here. He was from Iowa. He was responsible for saving billions of people from starvation.

It seems as if we have had a lot of people die this year. In fact they are calling it "the summer of death." Probably no more people than usual just a lot of celebrities.

I like to think that "we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when" as the song goes



Of course there are some people I won't meet again. They have placed themselves outside my sphere and as my neighbor David, says "There are six billion people in the world and when I come across one I don't like I just find someone else to be friends with." It is a very liberating philosophy. And if they don't like me that is their problem.

You see I was shocked by the actions of someone who I thought was a brother who withdrew from the fraternity and placed a graphic on his blog that I found offensive and then put up a letter about how Masonry was not in accord with his "Christian Beliefs" - Well it is in accord with mine and I no longer consider him a friend. I was reminded of part of the Eastern Star ritual which says "woe unto those who take upon themselves obligations lightly and forthwith forget them" (or something like that) and felt personally rejected.

A person comes into Masonry of "his own free will and accord." He is asked at least three times if he wants to be a Mason and told he could withdraw before he proceeded. Then to do something like that really upset me as I had gone out on a limb and made arrangements for him to meet with Masons in the city where he lives and then to have him tear down the fraternity which I have been a member for 43 years in such a scathing public manner was a low thing to do. I really don't know what is problem is. If he came into Masonry out of curiosity he came for the wrong reasons. When you come into a Lodge you have been accepted as a Brother under the Fatherhood of God (and the only requirement of a man is that he believe in God) and then to throw it back in everyone's face and say that Jesus told you not to be a Mason is just beyond my comprehension. It is all right to say I made a mistake and wish to withdraw. We understand that. I just don't understand how this person could have done what he did. I have been shocked about it all week-end. I thought more of him than that.

99% of the Masons I meet are honorable men. If they no longer wish to be Masons there are ways to withdraw. This person chose the wrong way and I felt it personally not because he left but because I had gone out on a limb to find someone to sponsor him for membership. I feel I should write his lodge a letter of apology.

Then there is another person who got unfriended on Facebook today. He used some language I did not want appearing on my Facebook page where anyone can see it. And yes, I use the word myself, I just try to be careful about where and in front of only certain people. (When I drive down the road in my car with no one in it the air sometimes turns blue). When I asked him to stop he went off on me about Freedom of Speech. Well I have freedom of friends and if he is gong to talk that way he is not on my page anymore.

On a more positive note, I took this last night of Miles and Jon. Fortunately you cannot see the mess on the floor or any of the dishes in the sink (actually there are no dishes in the sink I have a dishwasher) - Jon has decided that he needs to gain more weight so we have to feed him three times a day and then see that he goes outside to pee and poop and then watch that he doesn't get into Bailey's food and ... well you know the routine. It is puppy land around here and we both miss Max.

I am really looking forward to going to Grand Lodge on Thursday through Saturday. Even though the meetings will be pretty much like all Grand Masonic Meetings (and I won't go into that) It will be nice to get away and see some people I have not seen for awhile. I think I am also feeling the stress of four big meetings coming up. I am secretary for three of them and there is a lot to do to get ready. I carry a little card around in my pocket which says"

"Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."

I think I need to start putting that into practice soon.