Ate up with Freemasonry a bad thing ?

Yes and it was true.
One of my grandsons, who was about 10 at the time, asked"what does the "G" on your ring mean, before I could answer my wife said, it stands for "gone." To her credit, she never complained, which is her nature, but it was evidently bothering her to react that way.

Sure there worse things I could be into but at the time I was very involved with ritual, lectures, lodge instructor, laying carpet and tile at the Lodge, traveling to other Lodges, etc.

Needless to say I cut my activities way back.

Well, When I was at my investigative committee interview, the chair of the committee warned me that Masonry is addictive. He put my sponsor up as an example of a victim of this addiction. He is the Lodge Chaplin, a District Service Officer, the Lodge Ambassador, Sponsors at least 3 men every year, is active in York rite, Scottish Rite and the Shrine. I've never been at a Lodge meeting or LOI where he wasn't there. He fills in any empty officers chair and does a great job. He was recognized by Grand Lodge with the Joseph Warren Medal, the highest award in Mass Masonry, this year. It was the first time I've ever seen him speechless. He and I have been friends for 20 years so he knew I would be as attracted to Masonry as he is.

I was raised in November of last year. I became the webmaster for the Lodge while I was still a FC. I was placed in charge of the Widows' Committee a week after I was raised. I organized and executed a successful fund raiser starting our Lodge's Angel Fund. I qualified for the Master mason Rookie Award so fast that the Grand Master wrote me a personal letter congratulating me. I'll be installed as Senior Steward tomorrow evening.

My wife loves me, too. I asked her if this was bothering her. Her answer made me love her all the more. She said, "My father was a Mason. I knew you would do this the day I met you. I'm just glad you finally got around to it."

Hooked, ate up, yup...

My wife is seeing that I'm very involved in Freemasonry. I've got books all over the house, etc,. Yeah I guess you could say "I'm ate up".

She doesn't consider it a bad thing because of the positive changes in our lives that have occurred since I became a Freemason. I do have to force myself to back away from some activities though. I don't want the "G" to stand for gone... Like Zack had happen to him.

I don't think "ate up" is a strong enough term for my involvement in Freemasonry.

Most of my friends in Masonry refer to me as a "Cleric of the Great Architect" for my complete devotion to the Order! LOL

LOL I like that!

I don't have a family or a wife for that matter, but I do bring my GF to lodge functions when she is permitted, and she is cool with me going to the lodge for now. I believe lodge time is meant to be spent with the brothers, but you should still make time for other things, everything in moderation, right?

I'd like to visit other lodges, and check things out, visit DC and SF and check out the Masonic sights and whatnot. I guess one could devote their entire life to Masonry if they wanted..

You can. And some of us do.

And it is beautiful!

I dont think spending hours and hours on the internet reading masonic info and participating in Masonic forums plus appendant bodies, lodge meetings and traveling ..."Ate Up"......but then again, I could just be in denial....

This is how I see myself as a Freemason!


cleric by winterjg, on Flickr

(Is that too ate up?)

No. It's what I aspire to be Brother!

No Winter that is not ate up...... I dont even think its even close to being considered excessive.....

I will bring the Light to the dark places.

Heck.... I would think it should be the new standard attire for the good masons...

Not to call you out but... what do you consider a good Mason?

A start would be that snazzy outfit.....but stylish would have been a better adjective.....

I still have to photoshop the apron in.

As fun as this discussion has been, I wanted to interject my own experience with the term "ate up".

It is most often used in the military and law enforcement to describe someone who is not meeting standards and is generally considered a [censored]up. "Soldier! Why is your Kevlar on backwards? You are all ate up!"

Other similar terms are a soup sandwich (not soup but another word that starts with s)