Signposts
by PJ Roup, 33˚, Editor, Active for Pennsylvania
I chose
this path. Or maybe it chose me. One may argue that since I sought out the Lodge, found two men to recommend me, and paid the requisite fees that I surely decided to be a Freemason. Fair enough. But what if I told you that I wasn’t looking for it? Well, I wasn’t. Maybe you have a similar story. You weren’t specifically seeking wisdom. You weren’t actively searching for answers. You just had a longing in your soul, and something about Freemasonry chose you. It could have been the symbols. Maybe it was the mystique given to us by pop culture. Or maybe you really did seek Freemasonry. Perhaps you are a second, third, or fourth generation Mason and you wanted to keep the tradition going. Maybe your coworkers belong, and they convinced you to join. It could be that all the men you admired in your youth were Brothers, and you felt that joining would help you follow in their footsteps. This article isn’t about why you chose to become a Mason, but rather what happened next. Each of us began this journey in the same way—at an altar. From there, though, we have followed our own signposts, stopping at every intersection to make a choice. You might have chosen to become an officer right away, or perhaps you decided to delay until your children were older. Maybe you disappeared right after your third degree but found your way back once work settled down. Take a moment to think about the intricate web of paths that have brought
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