It has been almost a year for me since I entered the mysteries of Freemasonry.  July 27th will mark my first year as a Master Mason and it is one of those occasions that will stick with me for the rest of my life. What I found most remarkable about this adventure was that all of my preconceived notions about “the craft” were, of course, incorrect.  Unless you’ve actually been through the process, you can’t really appreciate what it means for those who take it upon themselves to join this ancient order of brothers.

Freemasonry is not what most people think, especially since its been sensationalized so much in books, movies and the media.  It is absolutely exciting in its own way, but we don’t spend our time guarding the lost bloodline of Christ or vast treasures hidden beneath our nations capital.  But, we do guard a certain intangible treasure, more valuable than all the gold in King Solomon’s mines; the treasure of brotherhood, truth and unconditional love. I had thought that these concepts were in danger of vanishing from the face of our beautiful planet, but now I know that they are alive and well in the hearts and minds of those I call “brother”.

As I sit here writing this article, looking at the square and compasses over my desk, I smile recalling the night I made it Master Mason.  Each of the steps I’ve taken along this path have been memorable, partly because of what was involved in getting me there, but mostly because from the moment I first stepped into the lodge as an initiate I am always surrounded by people who are genuinely happy to see me and who have never treated me as a “stranger”.  My brothers give willingly of their time to bring others into the craft, not for money or personal gain, but to help us all become better individuals. Beyond the lodge, they continue to build a sturdy foundation for all the world to build upon, a foundation built with the strongest stones of morality and truth.  There is nothing about my life that has not changed and improved as a result of my membership in the lodge.  I see the world with a compassionate and patient gaze, realizing the totality of my participation in the whole of society.  For me, Freemasonry represents all the best qualities of being a man, of being a HUman.  My path to Master Mason reminds me to be more cognizant of my interactions with my peers, friends and family.  The lessons I have learned have helped me through rough times, lighting the way to the end of the tunnel in times of darkness.

The Lodge I belong to is located in Colonial Williamsburg, one of three privately owned buildings in the historic town.  Whenever I go to the lodge, the entire experience intensifies for me since we’re steeped in such a historically rich area.  Some of the members of my lodge are characters for the Colonial Williamsburg experience, such as a brother who plays George Washington, one of the most famous American Masons.  Though our lodge has been rebuilt over the years, time ravaging all things, it still retains that air of history and mystery from the 1700s, in which it was originally built.

Being a Mason, whether I’m in Lodge or in my home, has enriched my life beyond the ability for words to articulate.  The lessons and experiences keep me warm even when I am not there.  I know that no matter how long I stay away, as life has a way of pulling us in so many directions, I can walk into my Lodge, or any other Lodge in the world, and I will be welcomed as brother and friend.  I know that I can implicitly trust any of my brothers and I know that when I am in trouble, they will be there.  And they know that when they are in trouble I will be there. 

Freemasonry is not what you think.  It has its “secrets” and “mysteries”, which I will not reveal to you because that is not our way.  But, again, the secrets are not what you would expect and they have no meaning when they are simply printed.  The mysteries are not written down because words are not enough, words are seldom enough, to completely articulate what it means to be called “brother”.  There are many books on Masonry, such as “Born in Blood” and “The Idiots Guide to Freemasonry”, which is where I began my journey.  The best way to understand and learn about Freemasonry is by talking to a Mason. 

If you are interested in Freemasonry, I have a few words to consider before you seek out myself or my brothers.

-- Do not worry about how much time you can commit, but understand about how much of your heart you can share. 

-- Do not worry about the dangers of the rituals, but understand that you are always among friends. 

-- And do not worry about embracing the path blindly, but understand that your inner light will guide the way.

To be a mason, you must be a man over 18, you must believe in a supreme being, and you must be sponsored by two Master Masons.  Being a mason is much more than showing up for a meeting, turning in an application and paying your dues.  In the beginning, just as when Deity created the universe and all its wonder, your path to Master Mason will require work before you can rest on grass among brothers.

Earlier I blogged about my feelings on games such as Grand Theft Auto and how that sort of unnecessarily violet games causes mixed signals in today’s youth.  My hypothesis is that this is merely a sign of our times.  Our society and culture, for the last 10 years, has been increasingly centered around a very “cold” world, the Internet.  Computer software development is at an all time high production rate, from business software to games.  Games are taking in serious dollars, such as Grand Theft Auto IV which took in $500 million dollars its first week, which is just under 100 million copies sold.  With gas prices soaring, its cheaper for today’s entertainment consumer to purchase a gaming system with Internet connectivity and a host of multiplayer type games, rather than going on to bars and clubs on the weekends.  Being a serious gamer, and having done the club scene for many years, I can get the same exhilaration playing a full party Halo 3 match sitting in my living room, as being sweaty and tired after a night of clubbing.

I have seen more and more people I know invest in home entertainment to combat the rising costs of traveling anywhere.  But, this means that people are spending less time face to face. What will this mean for our social structure?  I have met many people in the past few years that have, what I call, “Poison Fingers”.  A person with poison fingers is usually someone who is very mild-mannered in a face to face situation, usually accommodating and rarely raises issue in a meeting or group setting, until they get back to their computer and unleash a torrent of vile rhetoric in an email CC’ d to the entire free world.  Its like a digital form of passive aggressiveness.  But the point is that they probably would not have said anything unless it could be faceless.

So when we talk about empathy & apathy, we’re talking about the internal struggle within each of us.  Some have the ability to more overcome the logic of apathy and embrace the sensitivity of empathy.  Women are more readily able to be empathic where men tend to be more apathetic, by nature.  Though, that has changed dramatically over the millennia where men now have the “luxury” of being more sensitive, unfettered by the classical perceptions of hunter/gatherer.  We as a whole people have the same luxury, yet by and large we do not exercise it and when we do we’re not very earnest.  These are the hard truths we must tell ourselves.

“Sometimes the urge to do bad is almost overwhelming"" - Benjamin Horne Twin Peaks

I know that it is very hard to have true feelings for disasters half-way around the world.  We mumble words of regret for such tragedies, but do we really mean it or say it with true compassion. I'm sure some do and some just say it because its proper or socially acceptable.  So the observation is that the further away one is from an incident, the less they care, which is purely a logical reaction.  The illogical, yet more powerful reaction, is to have true empathy for the loss of life, no matter where it is.  We should have empathy for one another as much as we have for our own selves.  In the end we cannot survive as lone individuals.  Our continued existence, by necessity, requires our interactions, if only to procreate.  We need contact with others of our kind if only for a reality check. 

Of course, I love gaming as much as anyone, as my current Rockband addition demonstrates.  The paradigm shift we as a whole are facing warrants further attention by each of us, to ensure that we don't become some race of emotionless keyboard jockeys.  We've hosted a few Rockband gatherings are our house, and though you can play online, there's nothing like having a full band in your living room jammin' to More than a Feeling by Boston. 

I must say that I must be the envy of most men.  Not only do I have a wonderful and beautiful wife, but after many years I've finally gotten her to game as well.  So, smart, beautiful, funny, organized and one hell of a gamer.  Yep, you may hate me now.

So, being "the geek", I decided that I would put this in geek terms.  So using the dungeons and dragons metaphor, here is how I see her character sheet:

Character Name: Doll Song
Race: Dryad [Not usually a player character, but you'd agree if you knew her]
Age: Never ask a girl her age, silly
Class: Mage

Level: 20
Hit Points: Seems like never ending

Strength: 12
Dexterity: 18 [Yeah, seriously. She can tear up some Guitar Hero and Rockband]
Intelligence: 18 [Mm hmm.  Told you you'd hate me]
Wisdom: 18
Constitution: 16
Charisma: 20 [Her dryad ways.  Few men are immune to her charms]

Special powers:

Electromagnetic Burst:  The ability to blow up any electrical source
Befuddlement: She gets an additional saving throw when dealing with morons and the inept.
Minions: She has her own army of minions, with the ability to add additional minions every day.
Orb of Wit: She has the ability to confuse her opponents by having a rebut for just about any comment.
Seduction:  While Dryad's normally have this ability, she takes this to a whole new level.

So as you can see, I've lucked out with choosing a formidable opponent as my blushing bride.  On a serious note, the quality time she and I have while playing games is priceless.  We get time to enjoy playing with a little bit of healthy competition.  We learn a lot about each other every time we play.  We also learn about what each of us does the best, so that we can do the best things for our family and marriage.

Some men write poems to their wives and lovers.  Others put together a gamer sheet.  Though she deserves a poem, much like the ones Percy Shelley wrote to Mary Shelley [Because I believe she is the reincarnation of Mary Shelley anyway].  She is my muse in so many ways, that I can't begin to write the epic poem necessary to fully capture all the things she means to me.