I am often asked what happened during the twenty years between my being made an Entered Apprentice and being raised a Master Mason. A more interesting story is why I joined and what brought me back. It was as simple as one brother reaching out to another.

It was a brisk October evening in 2002. I nervously put on my Sears & Roebuck suit and kissed my wife goodbye. She told me she was proud of me as I closed the door to our little Verplank apartment and drove off. A little while later, I parked in front of this beautiful old building. It was Collabergh-Radium Lodge 859. I barely knew a soul inside and wondered what was going to happen within, as I looked at the Square and Compasses on its façade. I walked up the front steps as a cool wind bristled through the trees and a few leaves spiraled down the sidewalk. I opened the door and entered and was immediately greeted by warm smiling faces that put my mind at ease. Then I was seated in the room adjoining the lodge room, was prepared in the manner of an Entered Apprentice, and was about to go forward as all brethren who have gone this way before.

But I never thought it would take twenty years to complete my journey from Entered Apprentice to Master Mason.

I grew up hearing about the legacy of Freemasonry in my family history. My mother is a very proud Eastern Star, as was my grandmother. I was told my grandfather was a Mason, although he never spoke about it (maybe because I was too young to join before he died). Then there was Uncle Walter, who also was a Mason. I often heard stories about what a good man he was.
He was in a “secret society” of great men, I was told. I often wondered what kind of magical things these men were up to in their lodges. My grandparents owned a beautiful old Victorian home in Bedford Hills, New York, where I’d spent a lot of time growing up. My grandfather was a structural engineer retired from the New York Central Railroad. I loved to explore my grandparents’ property.

My favorite place was their attic with all the magical items within. One day, something caught my eye. A beam of light shining through a pane of wavy glass in the attic window illuminating a wood box in the corner. It was like something out of The Chronicles of Narnia. I walked over and blew the dust off the lid, revealing a Square and Compasses. When I opened it, I found my great grandfather’s constable badge, some arrow heads, a hat, a white apron, a Masonic Bible, and an old poster. Across the top was written “The Steps of Freemasonry.” I was awestruck! What were the degrees listed on this poster? Who were these great people? I had to join them one day. Years later, while studying at the University at Albany, the Craft called to me again. I spent some time studying famous Freemasons, like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other Founding Fathers.

I graduated UAlbany in 1999; married my beautiful girlfriend, Hana; and we had our son, William. I admired my father-in-law, he was a Freemason in the Czech Republic, so I decided to give it a try. I printed out a petition, mailed it, and waited for a response. A short time later I completed my first degree.

After my initiation, I entered the dining room and was warmly received by my new brothers. They gave me a Bible, which they all signed, and my apron. The Three Tenets of Freemasonry, they explained, are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. It would take me twenty years to fully understand this. Soon after receiving the degree, the realities of life began to hit hard. I was a first-time father and a husband eager to make my way in the world. My wife couldn’t work because she didn’t have a Green Card, and my son was a toddler. They were dependent on me for everything. I had to do something drastic to improve our situation, so we moved upstate to Johnstown in hope of a better life. I took a job to have a steady income between writing gigs, and the years rolled on.

I thought about Freemasonry often. The impact of leaving the brotherhood weighed heavy on my mind. I longed to return, but didn’t know how, didn’t know whom to ask, didn’t know how they would respond to me. My life was good, and I wasn’t working so many hours anymore. My son is now grown. I put him and my wife through college. They are both very successful now. Something was missing though.

It appears the Great Architect wasn’t done with me, as fate and circumstance intervened in 2021.
Why did I come back after twenty years? Because of one brother reaching out to another. Bro. Paul Meher is a member at St Patrick’s Lodge 4. Serendipitously, our kids were dating and that led to us meeting. He invited my family to dine with his, and the rest is history.

We began to talk. I told him my situation and he convinced me to give Freemasonry another shot. It was then that I met the greatest bunch of guys I’ve ever known, and they all worked together to bring me into the fold.