Leadership Report

The Unintentional Journey

by Peter J. Samiec, 33˚, Sovereign Grand Commander

When folks are sitting around relaxing and reminiscing, someone might query, “What was the best trip you ever took?”

At that point, you can almost hear those “WayBack Machines” (remember Dr. Peabody?) conjuring up those fond memories: a family trip to Disney World, a wilderness fishing trip with friends, a Caribbean cruise, maybe a summer junket to Europe back in your college days. Trips like this are usually preceded by much planning and preparation, with anticipation building by the day.

Some trips are more spontaneous, even unintentional, with very little prior planning. Oftentimes, the most memorable journeys are unplanned and unanticipated.

It’s even possible to be on a journey without conscious awareness. I can attest to that!

While the words trip and journey are often used interchangeably, a journey, by definition, implies a longer (in terms of time and/or distance) trip, perhaps to multiple destinations, sometimes with a greater sense of the unknown. That description brings to mind Lemuel Gulliver, the protagonist in Jonathan Swift’s book, Gulliver’s Travels. His journey was somewhat spontaneous, had multiple destinations, and was filled with the unknown.

On May 20, 1982, without any anticipation or expectations (long term or otherwise), I embarked upon my Unintentional Journey. On that day, I was raised a Master Mason in St. Patrick’s Lodge #4 in Johnstown, NY. That was 40 years ago, almost to the day, and truth be told, my travels continue with as much enthusiasm and intensity as ever. Little did I know I was beginning the journey of a lifetime.

It took some time before I realized that I was indeed traveling on a Masonic journey that began in my heart and continued onward through a variety of mileposts and waypoints until it was decision time.

The late, great Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” In 1995, I came to a fork in my Masonic trail, and had to make a choice: Symbolic Blue Lodge or Scottish Rite. I chose the Scottish Rite path and have never regretted my decision.

Over the course of my travels, I’ve accumulated many friends, tokens, and remembrances that enrich my life in many ways. I often think of the people I’ve met far and wide, the friends and Masonic Brothers I now have, and the memories we’ve made together. It’s highly unlikely that I’d have met any of them had I not begun this journey.

Every journey is memorialized by acquired tokens and mementoes, each evoking a memory of some pleasant experience along the way. And when I’m in a reflective mood, I realize that these cherished possessions have a far greater value when measured in memories rather than in dollars. Each provides a unique link to a Brother, or to a special time or event—all mile markers along my Masonic path. For example, a glance at my 33˚ ring will bring back vivid recollections of the auditorium in Cincinnati and the Illustrious Brother from Vermont who placed it on my finger on September 29, 1998. Then there’s the night not so long ago when I was presented my Sovereign Grand Commander’s cap, made even more memorable because it was a gift from a very beloved Brother. It literally brought tears to my eyes when he placed that cap on my head. That’s one memory I’ll always cherish.

All of these: the friends, mementoes, and memories are the elements of a wonderful journey, and I have them all. They are vestiges of the best unintended journey ever.

And as Yogi once said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

Journey on…

Peter J. Samiec, Sovereign Grand Commander