Hello There Brethren and Ladies,
As I sit down to pick my thoughts for a topic, I found myself musing over some finger paint and macaroni art my kids had made for me. I was thinking about how proud they were to give them to me. Granted the rock, pasta, and paint aren't worth more than 20 cents or so, but that's not the point is it? I was reminded of an old story about a boy and his Father. I will give the abridged version as I know it...
A boy presented his Father, for his birthday, a bottle of sand. The boy told his Father the story of how he walked a great distance over hill and through vale, until he reached the spot from which he gathered the sand. The Father examined his gift and said, "Son, this looks like the same sand we have here. Why would you travel such a distance for such sand common sand?"
The boy replied, "Father, the gift is not the sand, the gift is the journey."
I'm not sure how this story pertains to Masonry exactly. What I do know is, it has always reminded me to slow down and appreciate my journey and to try to appreciate the journeys' of those around me. We are all travelers, and while our journeys' are varied, we should try to remember that in the end we all end up in the same place. I say this not to be morbid or depressing, but to remind us all that it is the journey that matters. And also, we should do our best to appreciate the journey of the people standing next to us. Because as their experiences and lives affect ours, so do ours affect theirs.
As I look to sum this up, and come to some sort of lucid point, I realized it's not really necessary to do so. Anything else I would have to say would just be my opinion. And ultimately, it's not my opinion that matters. You should simply take my thoughts, and do with them what you like. Perhaps they will inspire you. Perhaps they will annoy you. Perhaps they will cause you to slow down and take notice... or perhaps not.
All I can do is hope to affect your journey in a positive way, as most of you have done for me.
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams
Fraternally,
Russell Jaeger
Junior Warden