Of all the things I learned at a recent leadership conference, one story stuck out in my mind, really diving into the idea of what makes a Mason “successful” in our Craft.
The history of California is intertwined with that of the railroad; in 1845 the idea of a transcontinental rail line was first proposed, and less than fifteen years later hundreds of thousands of men and their families were moving to our great state, hoping to strike it rich in the fertile streams and mountains. Shortly thereafter ground was broken in Sacramento on what would eventually become the country’s most famous railway.
The work of building and maintaining a railroad was hard, arduous labor, a largely thankless task in dangerous conditions from sweltering heat to frozen alpine passes. One hot day three workers were repairing a line of rail that had buckled, the scathing sun beating down on them the entire time. As they worked an air-conditioned car rolled past, lavishly decorated and protected from the elements. Suddenly it stopped, surprising the men.
“Bob? Bob Morris?” a voice from inside rang out, directed at the workers. One of the workers nodded as his companions furrowed their brows. “Come on up here!” And with that invitation, the man entered the cabin as his friends stared on in wonder, eventually returning to work when it appeared the rail car wasn’t going anywhere.
After more than an hour Bob returned, back into the sweltering heat, picking up his tools and starting where he had left off. The mysterious car rolled on and was soon out of sight. “Bob, who was that?” his friends asked, intrigued.
“That was the president of the railroad company,” Bob replied simply.
Both of his companions were stunned. “Bob, how does the president of the railroad know you?”
“Ten years ago, both of us started off right here, fixing rail lines. He worked a crew right next to me.”
“But Bob,” his friends wondered, “if he became the president of the company, what are you still doing here in the sun?”
“Ten years ago I went to work for $1.25 an hour.” Bob stood and fixed his companions with a steady gaze. “He went to work for the railroad.”
Hearing this story, I started to think; how many of us pay our dues because it’s expected, show up when it’s convenient, and only really consider our lessons when we are reminded of them? How many of us were like Bob, getting the minimum out of the work we do? I realized that for some time that had been me, going through the motions either because it was what had been expected of me or because I said I would, not out of any real drive or sense of purpose.
Freemasonry prides itself on making good men better, as we’re so commonly found saying. I think it’s more accurate to say that we give good men the tools to improve themselves – at the end of the day it is still on the man itself to use those tools for their own benefit. Whether it’s the community service we promote, the personal development we seek, or the camaraderie and leadership we teach, I believe that each Mason has to ask themselves what their priorities are, and what they expect to get out of their membership.
Every day is an opportunity to invest in yourself, to take our lessons and teachings to heart, and to truly show the world that on becoming a Mason you have committed to becoming a better man.
– Christopher C. Wright, PM
