June 2008

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RW DGM' s MESSAGE FOR JUNE 2008

STAY CONNECTED

Modern jargon has this phrase to ‘stay connected’ which I presume means to be ‘with it’, another phrase of youthful currency – in elders’ English, meaning to be familiar with what’s going on around one. The other extreme would be perhaps, what psychiatrists term ‘Cognitive dissonance’, that is being out of touch completely with the world around one.

This is the age of communications – another facet of instant gratification making it easy enough to stay connected with developments, human, technological, material etc., in our immediate environment.

One of the advantages available to the older generation amongst us, such as myself, is that to stay connected, is to enjoy life and be relevant, despite advancing years. One of the ways of staying connected, is not to restrict oneself to the company of one’s age group, but to maximize opportunities to engage socially, with the young. If one has the advantage of grand-children for company in one’s household, then staying connected to the day is not a problem. All education in Electronics for example, and the connected gadgetry is available on one’s doorstep from that generation. The skills they exhibit in ‘making things work’ makes one feel quite deprived, of that instinctive knack, which children seem to have for gadgetry.

When we were planning for our Masonic Senior Citizens’ Home, we had discussed the necessity of having the Residents thereof, in some useful way to be engaged with children, by spending some hours perhaps, tutoring students at nearby schools. The permanent company of ageing companions, can only lead to depressing discussions of medical ailments and other ‘pet’ subjects of a similar genre. Being connected, and staying connected, is to continue with the rejuvenation of life in the company of youth and their dreams.

For us Freemasons, even if not blessed with youthful company en famille as it were, we have enough opportunities through our charitable activities to engage with the young, in education for instance, taking advantage of them to stay connected, while also being useful to society. Let us also stay connected with our own youthful Brethren in every possible way, not least, through the Mentoring program.