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The Whole Ball of String Years ago I went to a
friend’s house and while I was there he showed me his string collection. It
wasn’t very impressive. It was in fact simply a ball of string made up of a
batch of little pieces. Over the years he had saved up what appeared to be
thousands of pieces of string and yarn that he ceremoniously tied end to end
and rolled them into a ball. It was not a very neat ball and it in fact had
dozens if not hundreds of bits sticking out from all sides. Oddly enough I
often think of that ball when reading or listening to a lecture or watching a
documentary. I remember asking my friend why he maintained such unusual
hobby. His response, like his ball of string at the time was not very
impressive. He simply said that he liked to look at it, pick it up and hold
it sometimes when he was thinking. At the time I did not pay
much attention to it and as time passed we lost contact with each other.
These days I often think about that ball of string. I usually recall it when
someone asks me what is to be found or learned by becoming a Freemason. These
days the answer is always the same. I smile, remembering the face of my
friend and his ball of string with all the loose ends sticking out every
which way and reply: Just a ball of string. Some are intrigued by the answer
and continue the conversation while others think me crazy and switch the
subject. Those who continue the conversation may eventually hear how every
person and event has a story much like a timeline that runs on a linear plane
for years, decades and even centuries through generation after generation..
The story of those people and events intersect and crisscross just like all
those pieces of string that I saw at my friend’s house long ago. I seldom go deeply into the
philosophy or the allegory that I see in the ball of string. I usually move
on to the part about how the person should stop by and visit the lodge and
chat with some brothers because I am highly unqualified to answer a person’s
questions in the matter. I always smile for a while though knowing that the
ball of string was much like life, if you pick up even one loose end you will
soon find that the whole universe is connected to it. This is what I found in
becoming a Freemason and I sort of wish I could bump into my friend again
because in my own way I have collected many bits of string that I often hold
and ponder. So in the end, I guess in becoming a Freemason one can find
something as simple as a ball of string or the whole universe. It just depends
on what you are seeking and what you are capable of seeing.
Spotlight on the Square If you would like to submit a suitable perspective Email your submission to: fse@wizzdom.net
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