You're growing old - FOR THE GOOD OF MASONRY - PUBLIC - Access To This Area For All Members, New Posts for Hall Lodge Members Only

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You're growing old - FOR THE GOOD OF MASONRY - PUBLIC - Access To This Area For All Members, New Posts for Hall Lodge Members Only - HALL LODGE MESSAGE CENTER

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Posted: Wed Apr 2nd, 2008 02:05 PM

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S.S.Keefer
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Some epigram-maker has said : " If you have stopped trying to change things, but accept them as they are,you're growing old."

The epigram reminds me of interpretations of portions of a chapter in Ecclesiastes which sometimes finds a place in Freemasonry : Remember NOW thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them..." This portion of the scriptures is rather generally interpreted as a warning against the approach of old age. But, as a basis for the lesson I wish to outline, go to another portion of the chapter which says," Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and desire shall fail." My interpretation of this portion of the scripture is that it means loss of mental courage---- dissipation of mental faculties needed in overcoming obstacles--- fear of criticism of our efforts---failing initiative. We have not reached the goals we mentally set in days that are gone; ambitions of younger years have not been achieved, but with the weight of many years we feel it useless longer to strive to reach those goals or achieve those ambitions. We stop trying to change things and accept them as they are. When we do that we are really growing old.

One cannot avoid growing old physically, but it is not necessary that the mind grow old with the body. One does not grow old mentally merely by living a number of years. " Mental acknowledgement of age, " someone has said, " is an ailment of the imagination." One need not grow old in his ideals, in his attitude toward life. If he sits out the afternoon of life merely watching the world go by, he is indeed growing old, but there hardly is a greater joy than association with one of many physical years who retains youthful mental agility and delights in sticking figurative harpoons into the faults and foibles of those of fewer physical years.

I realize the passage of physical years as I note the absence of many friends that I knew for many years, but the older I get the greater the number of things I see that I am sure need fixing. I wish I could have seen them at a time when I could have given to righting them the fire and vigor of younger years. However, I still try to change the ideas of some of my erring brethren. I know such brethren must be young mentally, for they make even more vigorous efforts to change me than I can make to change them--- with about the same results.

There is little excuse for members of our Fraternity to grow old mentally. Freemasonry offers us the material and the opportunity which should enable us to keep mentally alert, and an alert mind retains the ideals of younger years. It doesn't stop trying to change things. It doesn't accept things as they are.

By Elbert Bede, P.M.

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HALL LODGE MESSAGE CENTER > PUBLIC - Access To This Area For All Members, New Posts for Hall Lodge Members Only > FOR THE GOOD OF MASONRY > You're growing old