Post by staffs on Jan 22, 2005 8:51:53 GMT
Title - Plucking up the courage
For a number of years now I have longed to become a Freemason, (16 years) to be precise! My journey first started when I was 18 years old and I enquired to a friend who I knew to be a Mason, however it soon became apparent that I was too young at the age of 18, especially since my father wasn't in the craft back home in Scotland. Some three years later when I became 21, I thought about enquiring about the craft again, however I decided the time wasn't right (financially and emotionally), my now wife Heather and I had just married the year before and we had planned to have a family, our son Liam's now almost 13.
If I'm honest with myself, I never gave Freemasonry much of a thought throughout Liam's early years, in fact not until he was 8 years old and we had moved down south to live in Milton Keynes I started to consciously think about Freemasonry again. When I think back to this time I'm not even sure what sparked my interest again? up to this point family affairs quite rightly always came first, and I guess Freemasonry was always in the back of my mind.
Once settled in Milton Keynes I became interested once again in Freemasonry and with the magic of the World Wide Web I started researching. I discovered a few forums and read what Freemasons and non-Freemasons had to say about the Craft. I met and befriended a few Freemasons between work and social circles in Milton Keynes, however since I never knew them that long I always felt too shy to ask "The question", and felt embarrassed in case they were to think I perhaps befriended them for one thing.
I had over the past few years followed a Freemasonry Forum over the World Wide Web and always had the intention of posting questions asking for advice on how to approach my friends in Milton Keynes, however I never had the courage to ask "The question". I had up to this point registered 4 accounts on the forum in anticipation to post just the one question I had wanted to ask for so many years, each time though I lost confidence and forgot the details I had registered, hence the reason for registering 4 more accounts over the past few years.
Towards the end of last year I was waiting for the right time to ask my Piping tutor "The question", however when I discovered he had been diagnosed with cancer I felt devastated and could not approach him, his health was far more important. I kind of knew just prior to this that my family and I were to move back home to a different town than our home town in Scotland from England and that I feared not knowing anyone to ask "The question" and being on the outside of Freemasonry for a number of years again was about to dawn on me.
December 2004 I "finally" shared my thoughts on a Freemasonry forum, for me to post the question I wanted to ask on this forum took me about 3 years! I must say I was pleased by the supportive replies and encouraged by the advice, especially from staffs, who I now know to be Lee Stafford (I hope to call you brother Lee Stafford soon). Lee provided me with valuable advice and gave me the confidence to enquire further, Lee provided an invaluable contact on his Forum who in turn has provided priceless advice and is helping me with my application.
I long to start my Masonic journey this year, I had been shy in not approaching anyone in the Craft to express my desire to start my journey for years, I'd advise anyone in the same position to just ask, you will be welcomed.
William Murray
For a number of years now I have longed to become a Freemason, (16 years) to be precise! My journey first started when I was 18 years old and I enquired to a friend who I knew to be a Mason, however it soon became apparent that I was too young at the age of 18, especially since my father wasn't in the craft back home in Scotland. Some three years later when I became 21, I thought about enquiring about the craft again, however I decided the time wasn't right (financially and emotionally), my now wife Heather and I had just married the year before and we had planned to have a family, our son Liam's now almost 13.
If I'm honest with myself, I never gave Freemasonry much of a thought throughout Liam's early years, in fact not until he was 8 years old and we had moved down south to live in Milton Keynes I started to consciously think about Freemasonry again. When I think back to this time I'm not even sure what sparked my interest again? up to this point family affairs quite rightly always came first, and I guess Freemasonry was always in the back of my mind.
Once settled in Milton Keynes I became interested once again in Freemasonry and with the magic of the World Wide Web I started researching. I discovered a few forums and read what Freemasons and non-Freemasons had to say about the Craft. I met and befriended a few Freemasons between work and social circles in Milton Keynes, however since I never knew them that long I always felt too shy to ask "The question", and felt embarrassed in case they were to think I perhaps befriended them for one thing.
I had over the past few years followed a Freemasonry Forum over the World Wide Web and always had the intention of posting questions asking for advice on how to approach my friends in Milton Keynes, however I never had the courage to ask "The question". I had up to this point registered 4 accounts on the forum in anticipation to post just the one question I had wanted to ask for so many years, each time though I lost confidence and forgot the details I had registered, hence the reason for registering 4 more accounts over the past few years.
Towards the end of last year I was waiting for the right time to ask my Piping tutor "The question", however when I discovered he had been diagnosed with cancer I felt devastated and could not approach him, his health was far more important. I kind of knew just prior to this that my family and I were to move back home to a different town than our home town in Scotland from England and that I feared not knowing anyone to ask "The question" and being on the outside of Freemasonry for a number of years again was about to dawn on me.
December 2004 I "finally" shared my thoughts on a Freemasonry forum, for me to post the question I wanted to ask on this forum took me about 3 years! I must say I was pleased by the supportive replies and encouraged by the advice, especially from staffs, who I now know to be Lee Stafford (I hope to call you brother Lee Stafford soon). Lee provided me with valuable advice and gave me the confidence to enquire further, Lee provided an invaluable contact on his Forum who in turn has provided priceless advice and is helping me with my application.
I long to start my Masonic journey this year, I had been shy in not approaching anyone in the Craft to express my desire to start my journey for years, I'd advise anyone in the same position to just ask, you will be welcomed.
William Murray