One of the goals I had as a very young child was to be like my father, his father, the men of his family and the other men in my Mother's family. That goal was to be a high degree Mason and a Templar. As far back as can be remembered in both families all me have been of high morales dedicated to the skills of honor, education, and our Lord. These good men have served with other good men to better our Nation and much of the world. Both are a secret organization which means they are private until such time as they can trust and not be betrayed as was done in the 13th century when one could pay to be forgiven of their sins yets could not conduct honest deeds without the permission from a king or a pope. So being private was engrained within these people and inturn still practiced to this day. The standards practiced daily by my ancestors were honorable and therefore of interest to me.

Unfortunately as I became a young man, I had the choice of persuing this goal or persuing my heart as I desired the hand in marriage of the girl who I given my earthly love to. It was a time in my history when religious orders impacted family life such as the Catholic Pope would decide since my "girl" was a Catholic. The Catholic Church had very specific rules on other memberships and the manner in which children were to be educated and for a marriage to be blessed before God. The "reformation period" was several years off in the future. The Orders of which I had desired had to be put on the shelf if I was to be one in body and in faith. Really not a bitter decision but a somber one since all sides of my family respect my decision and did not consider it an afront to their principles since it was based on what they had taught me as a youth.

Later, I became a Knight of Columbus and subscribed to the Order of Saint John's Hospice of Jerusalem as well. After leaving the Catholic Church I disolved my membership as a KC since I found to many conflicts within those areas on honor, faith, and a place for "in-name only" priests. While there are truly priests who honor their vows to God and mankind, the lack of "policing" within the Catholic Church was a morale problem to my own practice of worshiping.

Within my heart, I am more truer and faithful to the standards set by my ancestors than the current standards established today for the pleasures of our world through many religious doctrines. Living in the past......maybe......but I have found much of the history's lofty idealistic goals for a men has more goodness and honor for a man than just feeling good inside while others feel the pain of being used or abused. I may be a single person who is a square peg in a round hole.....just remember to get a round peg one must shave those important corners of a square peg that keep it from rolling when the Winter wind blows against it. I prefer being a square peg until I am worn down by the sands of time and then having no need for the "peg status".