Masonic Pet Peeves

I hate being called "square". Why don't you call me plumb or level? Why square? Who taught us that stupid stuff?

I hate seeing brothers talk and garble on some fluff. You see it all the time in forums as well as in person. Brothers practicing for the title of the MOST WORSHIPFUL MASTER OF THE GRAND LODGE OF THEIR MINDS. It's almost as if they shouldn't even bother talking because when you have to write a summary of the 20 minute or 100-word garble they just uttered, it might just end up being..."I don't know what in the hell he was talking about"

I hate seeing brothers think that freemasonry is the "Father of all BGLO's" They need to do their research and stop talking about what they don't know. Seriously, they need to shut up.

I hate being a witness to poor ritual. Even if it's just a mis-step, I shriek, and I grind my teeth, and my OCD kicks in to correct that mis-step immediately. I thought this was a behavior reserved only for Past Masters...

I hate seeing brothers throw the "L". Technically your thumb and your index finger make an L, not a square. Your thumb is not the same length as your finger (or you're just weird). Moreso, it goes back to the "square" reference. Who was the idiot who invented that? Furthermore, are we some sort of gang? Why do younger people (in particular black people) feel the need to always represent everything they are?

I hate gaudy show off of masonic paraphernalia. I just have an old masonic t-shirt, and small items (such as a ring, a lapel pin and a wrist band) which I wear sparingly. Brothers try to "shine" with wearing jackets with 20 or 30 masonic symbols on them. They drive around with their rear view mirrors almost covered in masonic emblems. Is all that really necessary? Our foreign brothers have way more discretion because of their environment. I do wish we followed their lead and not be so showy.

Finally, I hate the politics. Many times I sit in a convention or meeting or program were a man (typically a high officer of some sort) makes a speech and the next 3-3 million speakers right behind him tell us how great his speech was and how great the man is and how honored he is to be a friend of his and yadda yadda. I hate that simple things that could possibly uplift the craft and the fraternity are subject to the egos, envy and eventual sabotage from such politically enabled men. It's just sad to see how some can't put everything all aside and get on a level and avoid the political rubbish and get things done. I understand with any organization or hierarchy of people, politics is a necessary evil, but this is freemasonry, you sort of expect more, but you get less. It's sad and it hurts and gets on my last nerves.