The title of this blog is an homage to Worshipful Brother Lyn Marsh. I saw Lyn give a speech to a packed auditiorium, 2 months before he passed away of cancer and that was his message. That was 5 years ago now and last night I went to lodge for the first time in over 4 years. I have been a Freemason for over 10 years and for the first 5 years, I never missed a meeting. Yet, I haven't been to lodge for a meeting since I started The Spot Athletics. This is something that I have greatly missed but unfortunately, building a business has taken priority.

As I sat listening to the degree work last night I realized that everything that I hate in this world, could be cured through freemasonry. If more of our men had been brought to light, then I would not want to punch everyone in the face. But even freemasonry has not suffered the wrath of our modern society. Although when I joined, I was pretty sure that the punishments for violating the oaths of the degrees were figurative, it was still in the back of my mind that maybe it wasn't. Now we are required to tell candidates that they are figurative and not literal. But to me, the oath a man gives should be punishable by death if he breaks it. Not just punishable, but legal to enforce such punishment. Furthermore, that man should want to die because if a man does not have is word, he is worth nothing.

The term "is that person on the level" comes from Freemasonry. The same with the phase "are we square or to get squared up". These things allude to what is just and right in the world. For me, I know that if I'm dealing with a Freemason, I'm dealing with a man of integrity and with someone who after I shake his hand, I know that it is as good, if not better than any contract a lawyer could concoct.

A few weeks ago I received a shipment from a supplement company and instead of them sending the 12 items we ordered of 2 products, they sent 12 cases of each of the products. So while we had ordered about $400 worth of product, they sent us about $4,000 worth of product. Now I could have kept it and not said anything, but being a mason I hold myself to a standard that says that is not acceptable. Most people know that it would be wrong to keep the supplements but being a Freemason means you have taken an oath to do what is right and just, to treat everyone upon the level and part upon the square. So we called the company and returned the extra product.

I'm not saying I wouldn't have done this before I became a mason, but it sure makes me question my decisions because I am one. Like anything, we don't always make the right choices in life, but I feel that if more men were masons, our society would be a lot better off than it is. I see the youth of our country going downhill in ability to be good people, to reason and to help our fellow man when they need it. Freemasonry helps teach these much needed things in life. So while I don't think all our problems would be solved through this solution, I'm writing this blog because after 5 years it finally dawned on me how much wisdom was in Lyn's last speech.