Closing Out The Year

The checks are on the way. 

There are always conversations after the stated meeting that get cut short when someone happens to look at their watch. Those discussions are usually followed up on the following week when we all converge on the lodge for fellowship. This week that was definitely the case as there were numerous tasks that needed to be completed and ideas followed up on after the meeting. But, unlike those meeting nights, these weeks in-between are much more relaxed and, because we’re not trying to do 15 things at once, we are usually able to knock out a number of things on our respective lists.

There is still a back and forth among many of the brothers about moving spaces around the lodge, cleaning up and cleaning out certain areas, and other things related to the building usually come up over the course of conversation. This has been a relatively reliable pattern for the first half of the off nights. And while those mini meetings did take place this week, that was not the primary reason for setting aside the time and driving to the lodge last night.

With schedules already hectic and time running short this month, it was time to sit down with both the outgoing Treasurer and Worshipful Master to take care of the final checks for the year. Some were new, some were rewritten for one reason or another, but all of them had to be completed last night. This included the checks that I was looking forward to signing… those to the residents of the Masonic Villages. I tend to take a little extra time in inscribing my name on those checks as they serve, in part, as a means to let our somewhat distant brothers (and widows) know that we are thinking about them and that we are always here to help.

For as much as we have been focusing on the present and the future throughout the past year, we need to remember the past and those who put in the time and sweat to make our lodge what it is today. After all, without their efforts, there is no guarantee that we would still have a lodge to meet in every month. And that is what we need to take away from these meetings and informal fellowship nights… while things may not be perfect, they may not be exactly how we want them to be, they are still here because of the work of all the brothers before us. We are only the most recent in a long line of men who strived to make themselves and others better. And that is what we should strive to do every day as well.

Sifting Through The Piles

Just as I thought, we're dealing with a huge pile of crap!

Last week, the weekend, and now this week have been full of various piles that have had to be shoveled. Sometimes it was a matter of picking up and moving a pile from one place to another while other times it was in a failed effort to take care of a stinky situation. As was mentioned before, it is common to move projects and tasks at the office from one day or week to the next. It is not something that I like to do but it happens, it is sometimes part of the job when you are juggling so many things at once.

There are things that I do my best to avoid pushing back but there are also other items that I don’t have control over. It actually reminds me of the scene in the movie “The Last Castle” when the punishment handed down to Robert Redford’s character was to move a pile of rocks with no real constructive purpose for the project. It would have been fine keeping it where is was but, due to some external influence, it had to be shifted to another day (and sometimes moved again).

And then there are the other piles that seem to be popping up all over the place as of late. It has gotten so bad that at times I feel as though I am trying to make my way across the 38^th parallel… one wrong step and you’re dealing with a whole new pile of BS for the week. Needless to say, these kinds of piles are sticky and stubborn to the point that it is sometimes best to just throw away your shoes and move on.

I guess both of these kinds of piles come down to the lack of control I have over what is going on around me. I can control much of what is happening at the office but I can’t control things on the other side of the phone. No matter how much we try or how meticulous the plan, it is never a guarantee that things will go smoothly.

On the personal side of things and all other situations where predominant component of the piles is in the form of BS, I really don’t have any control. I have tried to voice concerns, present some sort of reasonable action plan, and even attempted to simply ‘play nice’ but all of that has been pushed to the side so that stubbornness, anger, and stupidity could run rampant. Now additional opinions, no matter how good the intentions, are welcomed and I have no control over this situation. However, I can control the fact that my voice is heard and my concerns are aired but, in the end, everything remains steaming in a growing pile primarily occupying my weekends.

Not A Good Sound To Hear At Lodge

I arrived at the lodge last night a little earlier than usual as there were a number of things that needed to be done and everyone has places that they needed to go later in the evening. It was a relatively quick meeting with everything taken care of, or so we thought, and we soon found ourselves discussing some of the event that we have going on over the next few months and those that we need to work on for next year. In the end, there was more progress made with regard to scheduling than any of us had anticipated. Great, fewer details that we have to take care of later.

With other brothers arriving the conversations quickly became varied and we found ourselves jumping from topic to topic just enjoying the fellowship of the night. With only a couple minor tasks that still had to be addressed I adjourned to my office in the basement, pulled out the books, and finished up my weekly tasks. That is when I heard the sound that I have become all too familiar with over the last couple of years.

The dripping was constant and could be heard prominently in the small space once the rustle of papers calmed. I first looked at the ceiling to see if I could see any stains but didn’t find any discoloration. My attention then shifted to the windows where I again found nothing. But, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the buckling wainscoting right next to the window. It didn’t take much more than a gentle breath to cause the particleboard to fail and crumble onto my desk. And right above it was the steady drip that was echoing throughout the small basement space.

As I have said before, there are some things that I am able to fix, either temporarily or permanently, but plumbing is not one of them. Thankfully I could hear a couple of the brothers talking in the entryway who have professional experience with such issues and so I ran across the basement and up the stairs before they could walk out the door. After an extensive minor investigation, we couldn’t find much let alone the primary cause of the slow flow but we managed to move everything out of the way, unplug the electronics immediately in front of the water feature, and made the calls to get it taken care of in the morning.

While I could have been out the door moments after those few tasks were finished in the office, the leak took up a little more time than I was expecting and I found myself shutting off the lights and locking the door with enough time to get home by 10:15pm. While usually not for situations like the one last night, this is why my wife and I don’t expect me home early on Tuesday evenings. So far, that is the only plan that seems to be working on lodge nights as everything else remains fluid.

The Non-Baby Errands

Trip to the DMV behind the old boarders. 

What a difference a weekend can make when it comes to getting some errands done. We went from the fun and overall enjoyment of working on our baby registry to the doldrums of having to get the car inspected and license renewed. I know, I would much rather be walking around Babies R Us than hanging out at the DMV.

However, with these essentials now out of the way it seems as though we are finally recovering from the upper cut and no longer stumbling around the ring. Our feet, while it may not seem like it at times, are finally under us and we are able to take care of the things that have been hanging over us for months. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can relax in the coming weeks. We still have a long list of tasks to accomplish and projects to complete but at least now there seems to be some good progress being made.

Sometimes that is really all that you need to experience to start getting caught up… knowing that there is progress being made can push you to get things done, move to the next item, and the next, until you are actually ahead of things rather than fluttering your feet trying to keep from going under. Unfortunately, this is part of a cycle that we have found ourselves in over the past few years. We never really get ahead on anything it is more about catching up and falling back… bobbing up and down in the swells.

The difference now is that there are events on the horizon that are adding to both the urgency and the difficult of pushing through things. There is a storm of dichotomy just on the horizon and while there are moments when the sun peers through the clouds and turns the choppy waters into diamonds, it never lasts long and shortly after those respites of reflection we find ourselves in the pitch black looking for any glimmer of light we can find across the black blanket.

Such is the spectrum of life and the ebb and flow that we all must embrace. There are moments when you can fight to break free and there are other times when you just need to relax and let the current take you to solace. Right now there is a mix as we are insistent on trying to find a positive place and are constantly struggling to do so but also moments when we need to conserve all the energy we have so that when those times of joy do occur we can embrace them with all the love that we have.

In both instances, there is hope and we know that life has a way of working out and that G-d has a reason for everything happening around us. We may not know why, understand, or like what is going on but it all works out in one way or another. If we accept it, this can be a time when peace overcomes stress and joy dominates the darkness. We will always fight for hope but understand that we have our limits and there are boundaries to everything that we do. I for one chose to be hopeful and happy focusing on the joy that is just on the horizon.

The Quiet Time Never Lasts…

I got to the lodge a little earlier than expected last night anticipating an early evening. When I opened up the doors I had the entire building to myself and I looked forward to knocking out a variety of small projects that have been lingering since the state meeting earlier in the month. This is how the night started but after toiling away in the office for about an hour I knew that my night would not end in the same way.

With so much interest in the lodge from those wanting to join as well as a full slate of activities coming up later I the fall, it is a busy time of year for me. Add to that the fact that there are a few bugs making their way around and it has already struck down a couple of officers. I guess I am going to have to step up and get those items done as well.

While I entered the lodge alone, I locked the door behind me having three other brothers joining me as I exited. During the course of the two hours behind those doors I jumped from task to task doing my best to juggle the various requests that were being thrown in my direction (including via email). Of course, with the drastic shift in the evening, I still had a few items left unfinished but, fortunately, they were the ones that could hold off another night.

Walking out the door, while in conversation with the brothers around me, my mind was still running through the various things that need to be accomplished over the next few days as well as the next couple of weeks. From dues and petitions to awards and event coordination/planning, things seem to all be converging in the last few days of summer and the first few moments of the fall. Maybe this is why we are cutting back on a few items because things would most certainly be lost in the shuffle had the calendar not been paired down.

Finally back at the apartment, the emails continued to stream in as if I had never left my computer. Thankfully, the name badges were waiting for me in the mail box so I have one less thing to think about. And this morning we are continuing to push forward trying to drive attendance for this weekend and tying up the loose ends for next month’s official visitation. And, of course, there are a pile of other things that are being worked on simultaneously. But, in the end, this is the job I chose (at least one of them) and I enjoy every (well… most) chaotic moment.

Checking Things Off The Masonic List

There are times when I lose track of all the little things that I have to get done in a day. Hey, its what happens when there are so many things going on at the same time. With everything that has been going on lately, especially at the office, I have not been able to keep up with a lot of the things as Secretary of my lodge. Don’t get me wrong, what needs to be done gets done but just barely. Besides, I am not one to just do the minimum.

Even something as basic as keeping up with a few of the records has been put off for the past month and the notice and minutes for the meetings have been last minute scrambles, sometimes the day of the stated, as there always seems to be one project or another popping up and stealing the time away. It has been this constant running behind that has been grinding at me for months and keeping me from taking time to relax.

Today seemed a little different, almost like the air had changed and the inhale and exhale seemed slightly easier. While there is still plenty of work that needs to get done much of which will certainly bleed into the long weekend, the pace has been picking up and my focus has gotten a little sharper. Just enough to notice. Because of that internal and external environment, today I found myself finally having a few moments in the day to knock out some of the things that have been relegated to the background of my desktop.

It’s when I finally find the time for these tasks when I truly appreciate the work that I am a part of and the privilege that it is to be privy to the details of the lodge. It is also during these times when I realize that I have actually been accomplishing a lot even though there may be things here and there that are slightly behind. Being in the center of the lodge and the communication thereof, I can’t help but get things done and keep things moving.

When I see the number of items crossed off my Masonic checklist I feel a great sense of accomplishment but, at the same time, it makes me look forward to the slow months quickly approaching when the lodge is largely silent. We all need a break every now and then especially those who proudly serve in various roles at the lodge. It will be nice to take some additional time to catch up with some of my brothers without having to run back to my office to get something done. I am looking forward to this time off not from the lodge but from some of the routines of the month so that I can better appreciate the times of fellowship that are scheduled during the summer. Of course, I do have other things scheduled in the early part of the summer but you will just have to read about those later.

Fighting Against A Meandering Mind

Distractions have been an issue for me lately. All different kinds of things have pulled my attention away from the things that I should be focusing on including the daily duties that I have at work. Most of the time these things are out of my control and sometimes it leads to being productive in an entirely different area. Other times there are distractions that are once again out of my control and are detrimental to any productivity whatsoever. However, there are also moments when my mind simply wanders and before I realize that there are things that I am falling behind on the hands of the clock have made significant progress. Those are the moments when I can’t blame anyone but myself.

The past couple of weeks have been tough in this regard as I am constantly getting phone calls, text messages, Skype messages, and emails that are taking my attention always from the tasks at hand. Between the messages I receive from friends and family and the random short projects I’m brought into at the office, I have struggled to keep the usual tasks in motion and I have fallen behind on a few of the lodge items on my monthly check list. Some of the tasks or responses only take a minute or two but when your attention span is already suffering it can be a very long journey back to productivity when the distractions keep flipping like a shiny new quarter.

Even at night when I sit down at the computer to pull a couple of blogs together I find myself occasionally getting caught up in a website (not always social media) reading more about a subject than I need to for a casual reference in a post. The worst instances with regard to blog posts are the evenings when I have no idea what I am going to write about, which is becoming more and more prevalent these days, and I go from topic to topic, website to website, reading pages and pages of information just trying to pull together some kind of cohesive series of thoughts. While the writing may only take 20 or 30 minutes, it could take hours before I trip over an idea, opinion, or subject.

So, if I seem a little off or if my thoughts happen to come across as slightly disjointed understand that content is scarce at the moment and there are other things going on that I need to get caught up on. Hopefully this will only be a temporary state but you never know. Besides, I have a little more work ahead of me this week (as if last week wasn’t enough) as we close in on the blog anniversary. That’s right, it is approaching fast. Hopefully I can maintain my focus and find content. Might have to spend some time figuring out what will happen beyond that day too. I guess you will have to keep reading to find out.

Invasion Of The Large Sticky Notes

We all have memories, at least those of us over a certain age, of the blackboard being filled with what at the time seemed like an endless list of information. While it was nothing more than routine at the time, in hindsight it was actually a great tool to make sure that everyone was on the same page and, for me, it kept my wandering mind on task. While I see this as my mind being occupied by an overflow of thoughts, today it would most likely be seen as ADD which, to use a technical term, is crap.

Moving on in my academic life, the chalk quickly stepped aside and the grease board became a more prevalent wall decoration. I recently found out that I am older than I thought as the term ‘grease board’ is no longer used. Even after my undergraduate years, the white board was something that I tried to utilize for the same benefit that I got out of the chalk board in my youth. There is something about writing down a task, monitoring progress, and finally crossing it off that is oddly satisfying in a way that I have not been able to achieve through digital means.

Now, I find myself taking a step back as the back wall of my office is constantly covered with large sticky notes. For those of you unfamiliar or just can’t picture the process, these bloated sheets of paper are a cross between a Post-It note and wall paper. There seems to be a temporary state of permanence with these scribbling broad sides that force me to make progress on the variety of projects that I have going on at any given time. Working on multiple accounts and numerous projects, this is an essential process in place that keeps my mind from focusing on one task too long or straying off and concentrating on a non-priority.

So now, between the random pieces of paper pinned above my desk and the large swaths of note paper stuck to the wall behind me, my office is resembling a chaotic collection of thoughts and tasks that may be foreign to some but I have found is quite common for those in my line of work. It’s basically like a sane version of “A Beautiful Mind” with a less socially awkward cast of characters. Of course, we all have our days when reality takes a back seat to whatever scenario we find ourselves in or requests that we receive from clients. I guess you could say that the most insane part of this job and the way my office looks is the volume of work that it represents.