And The Phone Rings Again…

Another week and another unpleasant phone call. I was in the middle of my workday when my phone rang out from my shirt pocket and when I pulled it out and looked at the screen an unknown number was displayed on my caller ID. After the second or third ring, I answered the call not really knowing what to expect as I have made so many calls the past several weeks that it could have been a call from any number of companies or publications. Well, as Monty Brewster would say, it was from none of the above. It was, in fact, one of those call that I dread but also comes with being the Secretary of the lodge… another brother has been called off from labor.

Unfortunately, over the past few years I have spoken with a variety of funeral homes in the area as well as families of brothers who have been called off from labor. It is never an easy conversation. In fact, it is just as difficult now as it was the first time I answered one of these calls. After all, we are losing a brother not just a number in our membership… a member of our lodge, our masonic family, is no longer with us and all that knowledge that they had attained is forever silent.  

However, I am appreciative of the opportunity that the family has given us to honor our brother one final time. Too often I have found myself finding about a brother’s passing long after the fact. I consider the request to conduct a Masonic Funeral Service as a gift from our departed brother and his family to big farewell and thank him one final time for being a member of our fraternal family for over 65 years. The least we can do is honor this final request.

It is with great melancholy that I write this knowing that these events will be repeated again and again as our brothers continue to advance in age. It is a sequence of events that has become near ritual in recent years. However, as we hear of each brother being called off from labor, we can look to our lodges and see our new brethren take those initial steps in Freemasonry. The same steps that our departed brother took decades prior when their journey was just beginning. Such is the cycle of life and how we honor our brothers past, present, and future.

Resting Before The Labor

This day is one that is interesting to think about as our families were built by men (and women) for whom this day was originally conceived to honor. While some things have changed for a few of us in recent generations affording us the ability to work at a desk throughout the day, there are many, past and present, who make their living in various trades. However, for all of us the day has taken on a lesser role in our lives as the primary means of celebration is that of having the long weekend to enjoy as we please. For us, this is a perfect time to get together with family.

This day is also the unofficial end to the summer which brings hope of cooler weather, convoys of school busses, and the promise of a blazing landscape. The seasons will soon begin to change and talk of the holidays will soon be heard on the radio and seen on the television and in store displays. The day marks a time of annual change beyond the original parameters of the Labor Day holiday as is outlined on the US Department of Labor website:

“The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday.”

While I don’t recall having seen such a format in my life, the means by which we currently celebrate the day seems apropos… we mark the day by not working. However, the irony of it all is that many of the professions and professionals for whom this day was designed to celebrate, find themselves at work. Such is the effect that retail has had on the calendar and the lives of some in this country. A sale is a powerful draw and bringing that business in is what keeps people working. Some might call this a vicious cycle. Of course, I say this knowing that I am not one to turn down a deal and I too have taken advantage of the “Labor Day Sales” that are becoming more and more plentiful as the years pass.  

The seasonal change is certainly upon us and all the sights, smells, and sounds are beginning to permeate the air. It is a time of annual transition which is certainly something that we are anticipating as our plans continue to develop over the next few months. A day off of labor to prepare us for the work that needs to be done for the remainder of the year. That pretty much sums it up for me.

Questions Follow Answers

Over the last few weeks I have been able to provide a lot of answers regarding a few things that were still up in the air at the lodge. It was nice to be able to check a few things off the list and get back to what needed to be done to finish up the year. However, that transition, as many of you know, leads to more questions than answers. It is a dilemma that all lodges face as the second half of the year unfolds and one that we do our best to navigate in the final months of the year.

You can usually count on participation being rather high as the calendar turns to a new year which drives attendance and involvement across the board. This inevitably begins to waiver at the weather warms and comes to a near standstill as we call off from labor for the summer. Just like returning to work after a long vacation, it is difficult to get back into the routine and, in this situation, hard to get the brothers back to participating at the lodge.

In addition to attendance of the brethren, we also wonder about the current candidates and the possibility of new petitions. We haven’t seen as many this year but the hope remains that we will be seeing some fresh forms this fall. Thankfully, we have a decent process in place for our new candidates and brethren but I can’t help but think about the ongoing need for petitions that will surely occupy my mind for the remainder of the year. Hopefully, any new petition and subsequent brother will be as dedicated and involved as those who have recently been raised.

The final months are also a time of transition as we will have new officers in the chairs for the coming year (this is true even in Grand Lodge for the coming year). While we are well aware of the brother who will be stepping up, there are always questions that we have regarding style of leadership (I actually have no concerns with the incoming Worshipful Master), schedule of programs for the year, and the officers that will be supporting him. Some of us will be staying on but there is never a guarantee and a lot can change over the next several months… we have all certainly seen that happen a time or two.

I am both concerned and excited by these questions and eager to see how the remaining seasons unfold at the lodge. We are always striving to improve the lodge (with regard to both membership and the building itself) and I am looking forward to seeing many of our projects and endeavors come to fruition. There are great things in store both this year and in the coming years and I am going to do my best to both support those initiatives and stay the heck out of the way. It just goes to show that change can be a very good thing.

A Little Early

About 30 minutes after birth and a quick cleaning... he quietly squeezed my finger the entire time.  

When my wife woke me up in the middle of the night saying that she still wasn’t feeling well I did my best to comfort her even though I was still half asleep. Having just been to the hospital, her flu was something that needed to be watched but sometimes my wife can be a little more overzealous in her monitoring. However, even having been woken up a few times before and still suffering from a week long lack of sleep, there were a few words that my wife uttered that immediately got me up and out of bed… “I think my water just broke.” That will wake you up faster than the strongest cup of coffee the world has ever known.

After another call to the doctor to let them know that we were coming in, we packed everything up, jumped in the car, and made our way back to the hospital. We were still in shock by the quick turn of events but there was an odd calm in the car despite the bitterly cold winds blowing the snow all over the roads. By 5am we pulled up to the labor and delivery entrance to Bryn Mawr Hospital. Not surprisingly, the doctor confirmed what we had suspected, what my wife had surmised an hour prior and we knew that the by the time the day ended we would have a small addition to our family.

With family already beginning to arrive, we were escorted into the operating room where I was able to peek over the curtain and see my son being born. As many of you know, when your child is first born they look like a cross between an alien and a miniature member of the blue man group but that doesn’t make you think twice about wanting to reach over and hold him. At 9:14am our son, John Louis, was born and our priorities forever changed. If only the post office delivered packages this early we would never have a problem with the postal system again.

Unfortunately, since my wife was diagnosed with the flu less than 24 hours prior, we are confined to gowns and masks for the duration of our stay in the hospital. With that said, that hasn’t deterred us from holding him every chance that we have had today and just looking in awe at the beautiful boy that we have brought to this world. Now the real work and the real worry begins as I hope to be a good father in addition to being a good husband. However, the second that I saw him I knew in that instant that I would do anything for him.

Happy Birthday My Beautiful Baby Boy!

Birthing Class, Pizza, And A Hospital Visit

Having gotten up early the day before and out of the apartment all day, Sunday was not a fun experience getting out of bed. But we had good reason for an early rise as we were off to class yesterday! We had signed up for the birthing class about a month ago and opted for the one day variety instead of the multi-week long process that just doesn’t agree with either of our schedules at this point.

A little sluggish and having been held up by anything and everything along the way, we were the last ones to arrive but thankfully the class had only started a couple minutes prior to our arrival. Obviously, we jumped right in as soon as we were able to take our coats off and take a seat. Another new experience during this new adventure.

The class went well offering up a lot of information and answering numerous questions that everyone had. It was led by one of the nurses from Bryn Mawr Hospital whom you could tell was well verse in fielding all of the different questions that new parents have. While the class was interesting it was a little repetitive and the warm room did not mix well with the lack of sleep from the prior week. I did stay awake and pay attention but there were a few touch and go moments here and there.

Halfway through we all left to get some lunch with a time set to resume the educational portion of the day. I didn’t have to say much knowing that my wife would probably like to go to Peace of Pizza. Not surprisingly, we found the majority of the class at the counter ordering their meals when we walked in the door.

There were also a number of families there for lunch with gaggles of young kids circling them like hyper sharks. We didn’t think anything of it and smiled at the situation before taking another few bites. However, my wife and I were amused when we saw the looks of terror on the faces of our classmates. I guess they weren’t quite ready for the dose of reality.

We returned to the class and finished up the sitting portion of the day with a few games that brought a little perspective to the situation. After these we completed we got back in the car and we all met at the hospital for a tour of labor and delivery. While those terrified looks seemed to creep back onto many of their faces I could feel the two of us getting more and more excited (and more nervous). Time is going so fast and it won’t be very long before we return expecting to leave as a family of three.  

What Do We Consider Labor?

Last year I wrote about the history of this holiday and the story behind thecreation of this holiday that we call Labor Day. I wrote that post in the early hours of the morning while working the front desk of the apartment building. The irony was clear having to work on the holiday. This year I find myself in a completely different situation with the office closed and enjoying the day with my wife. Of course, there are always things that need to be done on the computer, there are always things that I am working on, but this year I had a choice.

This year I am wondering if I am working hard enough. There seems to be times when my focus isn’t what it should be and items aren’t checked off the list as quickly as they should be. I don’t know if I am working any slower or if my expectations keep going up. Honestly, I am not sure which one it is. All I know is that I keep thinking lately about where I should be versus where I actually am right now. This is particularly odd as I feel I am in the right place but not as far along as I should be if that makes any sense. Who knows, maybe I am just impatient and expect more of myself than is possible.

But, I digress, this is a day to celebrate the contributions that people have made to this nation with their own hands and their minds as well. While many may differentiate physical and office labor they are both contributing to the success of this country. The sweat, the stress, the creativity that has changed the society in which we live is what should be honored on this day. This is not a day to celebrate the unions which too many worker have become beholden, this day should honor the strength and work ethics of the individuals.

With that said, we must remember that some don’t have the choice of whether or not to work today. From those who would be considered ‘laborers’ to those sitting behind the desk at the office trying to meet a deadline. While completely different kinds of work and vastly different pay, they are all working to keep the job they have, doing the best they can at that job, and trying to find a way to reach their goals whether it is simply to support their family, ensuring the safety of others, or something more grandiose. Everyone who is striving to make a difference in their lives and/or the lives of other through their labor should be recognized on this Labor Day.