So here's a theory...

... and no, it doesn't undo any religious views that I can figure out so far.

So far ...

Okay, I'm a Master Mason.  One of the requirements to even be considered to being a Mason (of any degree) is that we each share a belief in Diety.  How a Mason determines Diety is left entirely up to his own belief(s).  But we all have that in common.  I personally need to clarify to a LOT of my brothers that this can often run people awry when they fail to recall that there are more views than just "Christian".  I for instance am an amalgamation of beliefs.  American Shamanic, Welsh Druid and ... dadadummmm born Protestant Christian.  I believe in God, and I even refer to Diety as "God".  Well, here's a warm-up folks.

"God" is not a name.  It's an Adjective.  A Nickname.  It isn't actually a Name.  Every Religious collective (and yes, I do mean "collective" not singular) keeps sacred within the depths of it's teachings the "Name" of God within their dogma.  It is sacred to each one of them.  And in all sincerity, what that "Name" is really doesn't matter to anyone else.

Do you know why?  Can you figure it out?

It's because it is the Word that they Believe.  If we each were to respect one another's views in religious beliefs (or even just singular Beliefs), then we should consider that each sacred word/name carries with it the sanctity of that belief.

I have another word that I use to describe Diety for me.  One of many in fact.  That Word is Truth.  That Word is Entirety.  That Body is the Cosmos, to the entirety of it's diversity and variation.  Because of my belief in that, I have recently (within recent months even) discovered that I can literally find Love and Joy and Compassion for every living being.  I can give Respect for every thing I can identify as well as for those things I have yet to or even may not get to.  In my eyes I hope reflect that expansivity.  I hope that when another being, every being, can find some glimmer of that incredible Work and that with a bit of luck they may find a bit of the Light that is their unique and equally important part of It.

And if they cannot ... then I hope they will help me to be able to.

Behold, the Late Night Addict

So here I am sitting with friends watching "Being Human" on SyFy and as I listen to the show (I saw this episode already this week) and I hear the occasional peanut-comment from the guys, my mind wanders.  It thinks of things like tomorrow mornings breakfast at the LMT ($5 all you can eat, every third Saturday morning) ... and it makes me wonder how much can "one" do?

One person.  One Lodge.  One City.  One Anything?

Let's see where to begin.
One Sun warms our planet.
One Breath gives us Life.
One Cat warms our Lap.
One Dog makes us Laugh like a kid.
One Friend can hold us aloft when we are sinking.
One World can Support us All ... at least it can when we can work as One People.

Just some thoughts.   Quick ones.  So imagine the damage done when ...

One Group decides they don't have to help.
One Person decides s/he is better than the next.
One Nation decides the Fate of Another.

So I ask you ... what can One do?

-=-=-=-=-=-
Special Thanks to Padma Ali for the graphic.

Change ... Yeah, this is Change

So we have all discussed the idea of making changes.  So many of would us like to lose weight.  How about remembering things more?  Getting a better job?  Being more understanding?

Yeah, those are just a small collection of the few things that most of us consider when we think about "Change".

Now I'd like to ask a new question, how many us actually think, and I mean consciously think, "That's Change, I'm going to Resist It."  Really?  I'll bet most of us never do.  Most of us firmly believe that we can handle change, at least most change.... well, okay, occasionally change.  I mean change is good, right?

I have this feeling when Change comes, the vast majority of people out there really do not have any idea how to adapt with it.  I am willing to bet ... well the Fact that Reality itself Changes ... that most people really can't deal with change no matter what they believe in themselves.  And because it's such an unconscious reaction, it takes a major act of willpower to just realize when we ourselves becomes resistant to change when it comes.  Moreover, we have to realize that the most resistant force to change is our inner self-identity.

For instance, did you know that young children (below the age of 3-4 years of age) actually do *not* qualify for sapient, self-aware beings?  We literally spend so much of our lives trying to figure out who, what and how we are what we are, that we believe eventually we figure ourselves out.  Here's a reality check, for us all to realize.

We are *ALWAYS* working to figure things out.  The one thing that is constant in the universe, the entirety of it, is that things are constantly changing.  Change is the Constant.  How we adapt within the changing constancy is what defines whom, what and how we really are.  It is the expression of the Self.  So, I ask you now, Ready to Change?

Respect

So a while ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a new idea about "Respect".  Let's try this on for a new direction to most of us out here.

Normally, we all hear (and repeat) the phrase that "Respect is something that you earn."  Now, if this were the case then effectively, we would all have to earn the respect of another person.  Interesting when one considers that just to come to a negotiating table, all parties coming to the table already have to possess something.  Respect.

You see, in order for someone to "Earn Your Respect", you the person they are are coming to must bring respect that you can offer.  If for instance you do not respect yourself and/or the party you are representing, then  the "other person" has no chance of "earning your respect."  Of course, most of us would say that we always respect ourselves or have Respect for Others.  But, if that were true then the world would have little to no need for Professional Negotiators, Litigators or ... everyone's favorite ... Lawyers.

Truth be told, most of us don't have respect for ourselves let alone for anyone else.  Not real respect.  We often hide this shortcoming with a variety of other expressions and/or emotions.  Raw intolerance seems to be one of the bigger things that we far too often express to others.  Wonder if that means we really have a lot of intolerance for the people we are within ourselves.  Wonder if we have so little patience or understanding for or of ourselves.

Just makes me wonder.  So anyone, try it and see what can happen.  I mean, at most ... it means you are merely helping the other person earn one of the things maybe they really need.

Self-Respect.

What Happened to the Money?!?

This is actually something that has been on my mind for some time now.  So let me just ask the world.

If you as part of your role(s) served as an event coordinator of a place and accepted (reduced price) security deposits for the location you work with (for?), and the people who rented it were having a HUGE party (there is not text big enough for their shindig) and afterwards, as part of the agreement ... a contract signed by the head person of the shindig ... the people whom were supposed to clean up the location (which is old btw, no shortchanging or lying to that) and giving them TWO DAYS to do so, only to discover...

Excessively dirty dance floor showing where dirty mop water had been used.  Not even sure the people knew how to use one.

None of the tables put back into their original locations.  Some of the tables actually left physically outside the buildling.

Not just one, but five (5) bags of trash which as part of the contract they are required to take with them when they leave.

Flour and other food preparation items left on service tables and range-tops.  I didn't even care about the floors in the kitchen, they are set to be redone anyway ... but leaving food out is a sure-fire way to attract rodents, especially in this weather.

One whole floor of the building having been locked and everyone who was putting the event together knew to stay out of entirely, but only to find a number of chairs turned over, candles on the tables.  Open/Empty cans of beer, cigarette butts (no ashs trays btw, so I don't know what they used).

One very large ladder left in the main dance floor and setup (to take down a poster that had been put up no doubt).  Using the ladder not the issue.  The issue is they didn't put it away.  They certainly didn't have it out during the event.

A rented (by the coordinators of the event) smoker/bbq unit left at the location for several days that if not for us, they would not even be aware it had not been sent back.  Let alone in the way.

The discovery that the Catering License they were to have for the event, a detail they had "assured" me had been taken care of was discovered by Excise Officer (a nice young man who showed up while I was trying to show the disastrous location to would-be clients for next summer) as not having been filed properly and thus not having a legal permit for the event.

The stench of what can only be described as "vomit" coming from one of the very large HVAC units that didn't come from before.  The smell was discovered to have been trapped in the filters of the unit ... which begged the question who did what and how close to that extremely expensive item.

A damaged door brace (as in, one side is broken) which has since been repaired.

Amazingly, the bathrooms were clean.  They told me that they had "run out of toilet paper", yet there were 16 rolls of it in an open bag behind the bar on a counter that was visible from many tens of feet away to anyone in that room.,

Amidst all of this, oh wait ... then there is the CO2 tank (5' type) left in the office for two weeks.  When these details were presented, the individual and one of his staff belittled the entire thing and offered to fix things.  I said certainly, what were they doing later that week and they both said (in front of a witness btw) ... "I can't that day, I'm busy".  Wow, thanks.  that would have meant you had the opportunity for a week's time afterwards to clean up and again they couldn't.

I have been called a man of "repulsive character" because of the event by the guy who was the head coordinator.  I haven't responded.  Hell, I haven't even told that many people about it.  I was really pissed off for a while.  But as I have his signature on the contract, and his initials along each and every one of those problem areas listed, and yet he still thinks he should get his deposit back.

Sigh ... repulsive character ... wow.  I'm tired of little people.... really, I am.

Another Late Night ...

... and I have several bodies.

Well, maybe not "several", but I know I have a lot of things on my mind still. First month as WM for Laf123 and I'm doing okay for now, but I can see how the tasks at hand would make one both proud and insane at the same time.

Let me explain. WM means "Worshipful Master", a title and a position and a responsibility and a few more things all at once. It is both guide to all my brothers and servant to them at the same time. It is the compilation of dichotomies that I find so intriguing. So utterly encompassing. Some of the brothers are people I have known for years with a few of them having been my brothers long before we were joined within the Craft. I have along with them, so many others that I have met with each one having helped me on this journey we are all taking together.

A Lodge is a collection of brothers who have come together to perform various tasks and labors. Who determines those tasks and labors? Well, supposedly I do. But the truth is, the Lodge does. I'm merely someone whom is to take responsibility for those T&L we perform. I have to make sure the T&L are things we can accomplish, bringing enrichment to the Lodge, the Brothers and the Community (locally or at Large, it matters not).

I was asked by a brother last year why I wanted this job? He told me he had heard from several brothers that thought I wanted it for the Power. In the end, I must admit, the Power did have something to do with it. But it's the Power that is needed to help sustain our Lodge. To get us onto a track of success and hopefully continue the pattern of growth we've had for the more recent few years. When the brother and friend asked me last year as he did, I seem to remember telling him that there were other reasons. Many of them had to do with feeling it was time. Had to do with trying to become a more direction-oriented leader than we've hand in recent years. And I don't mean that in any form of belittlement. I do mean it however because for what is now known to have been for too long we have only been "existing".

Any person who wants to have a fulfilling life knows however that "existing" is not "LIVING". It's a sad and pale shadow of that. So that is what we are trying to do now. We are trying to become a "Living Lodge". Something that shows vibrance and vitality, and does in fact enrich the lives of those we are graced with having around us daily.

But yet, I am still pondering this odd sensation. The sensation that this is still but a Shadow of what we should yet be???