Sleep is overrated, said those who are high energy and don’t need it. The truth? We all get burned out, and right now is the time to take care of yourself first. As many predicted, the flood of new candidates and Brothers caught up in the COVID shutdown are now cycling through degrees, and lodges everywhere need help to fill the slate in ritual.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. Plenty of fluids, take your vitamins, get plenty of sleep, except some of you are out 3 nights a week or more assisting other lodges. We’re making up for leaving our cars mostly parked as we’re now driving across town, across the county, and even across the region just to make sure our lodges can do what they’ve promised these new candidates and Brothers.
Burnout can happen in an instant, and we just don’t even see it. Why are we our own worst patients, especially in self-diagnosis? I’m not a mental-health expert, nor do I even remotely want to pretend to be. We carry all the stress from COVID, family, career, children or other responsibilities, all vying for our time, and suddenly Freemasonry seems to have lost that bit of “me” time. That time that I use to strengthen my own relationship with the Divine. “So why am I reconsidering going to lodge tonight?” I’m glad you asked.
Go! Don’t take a part (unless critically needed), and give yourself a break by sitting on the sidelines. If you’re an officer in the lodge, go visit another lodge, preferably on a normal business meeting. Make it a break from the stress, simply enjoying hanging out with the Brothers who are there with you. I remain grateful for my Brothers in my Blue Lodges. I remain grateful to sit quietly in lodge with them, and how amazing is it that we share such a passion and commitment? Always try to bring that back to the forefront: that focus, that passion, and let the lodge recharge your batteries too. Enjoy the fellowship and remember the feelings you had when you first knocked on the door. Let the Lodge and the ritual recharge you for the moment, take a deep breath, and again my Superheroes, we have work to do!
Bro. Randy
Bro. Randy and his wife Elyana live in O'Fallon, MO just outside of St. Louis. Randy earned a Bachelors in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in telecom IT. He volunteers his time as a professional and personal mentor, is an NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol. He has a 30+ year background teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy's Masonic bio includes lodge education officer of two blue lodges, running the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, active in York Rite AMD, Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis co-librarian, Clerk of the Academy Of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, a trained facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. As a pre-COVID-19 pioneer in Masonic virtual education, Randy is an administrator of Refracted Light and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy enjoys facilitating and presenting Masonic esoteric education, and he hosts an open, weekly Masonic virtual Friday Happy Hour. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.
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