| Master's Message |
| Haddonfield - Cherry Hill Lodge #15, F&AM Haddonfield Masonic Temple 16 Kings Highway, East Haddonfield, New Jersey 08033 856-428-4193 njlodge15@yahoo.com Regular Communication: Third Tuesday of each Month |
| Brethren: Sit Awhile, Please!! My message this month is directed to men who find it difficult to attend lodge because of family obligations as they raise their children. And that’s as it should be: family comes first. I recently read Stephen Miller’s review of Porch Talk by Philip Gulley in The Wall Street Journal and feel compelled to share Mr. Gulley’s premise: “all that is wrong with our world can be attributed to the shortages of porches and the talks we had on them.” For those who did not have porches, stoops served the same function as a kind of urban gathering place. Mr. Gully notes that as recently as a generation ago, porches were a place of thoughtful idleness and relaxed conversation. “All manner of lessons were learned on the front porch.” On hot days, folks sat and shared mostly idle chat, just shooting the breeze. But there was often a mix of family members crossing the ages from children to grandparents, or in the city, ethnic groups. What lessons were learned? The art of sociability. The art of conversation. “How to read people’s expressions, how to kid each other and be kidded, how not to take ourselves too seriously.” Grandparents shared stories of their youth, and parents shared the week’s events. Children learned more than the story; they were constructing a code of behavior, ethics, values and principles to live by. On the stoop we learned not to dominate conversations because our friends would cut us off with a comment like, “Enough already.” Our friends could be totally honest in these moments. The problem today is not the disappearance of porches; as Mr. Gulley suggests, it is the loss of certain habits that went with them. We are now lured by the Internet, electronic devices, and private entertainment imbedded in our iPods, cell phones, and on demand TV. The volume of ambient noise in public places has increased exponentially with car speakers, leaf blowers, cell phone monologues and giant television screens. The porches are empty because everyone is probably inside using electronic gear. Porch Talk (Harper One, 170 pages, $15.95) reminds us of how much we have lost by such “cocooning” and how much can be gained by sitting down to random, relaxed conversations with family or neighbors. I would add that good sturdy rockers aid in the ebb and flow of conversation and the requisite silences. Summer is still officially with us and the weather is becoming perfect for an afternoon or evening on the porch. Make it a priority. No porch? The kitchen table will do; just turn off the television and phone. If you have the time, lodge fellowship serves much the same purpose. Come out and join Our Arts and Craft. Sincerely and Fraternally, David R. Leeds, Worshipful Master 2007 |
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| E-mail: drleeds@netzero.net |
| E-mail: njlodge15@yahoo.com |