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The Karaoke King, Being Made or Becoming

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It was a Friday  evening  at 6PM and I was locking the door of the shop when I heard a diesel truck  pulling  in behind me .   I had heard the sound of that particular motor  before,  and my mind quickly went down the list of everyone I knew who drove a truck with that motor. And John was one of them .   Before I could turn around that familiar melodious voice floated across the parking lot to my ears .   He growled, “Hey Brother Chris, Where do you think you are going ?   I’ve got some serious truck problems.”  “Well, you are just S.O.L. my Brother,” I said .   “There’s no one here that can fix it until Monday.” He got a shocked look on his face and said, “S.O.L.??? Do you know what that stands for?” “Don’t look so shocked,” I said .   “Of course I know .   It stands for Sorry, Out of Luck.” “That ain’t what it means in my neck of the woods,” he chuckled .   “I guess we are lucky that we aren’t in your neck of t...
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At Capparelli’s And Satisfaction In The Work

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  At Capparelli’s And Satisfaction In The Work By James C. “Chris” Williams IV, Staff Writer It’s the same every month.   He calls and says he’s starving and wants to know where I am taking him and somehow finds a way to make me pay.   Well it was about time for that to stop.   Not the eating …..just the paying.   He claims that good material is not free and since I meet with him every month and write his words that I ought to be happy to buy his lunch….and I am….some of the time.   The way he eats, a man could go bankrupt pretty quick.   Actually it’s only once a month and it’s not that bad but it’s the principal of the thing.   There was a new Italian restaurant named Capparelli Bros. we hadn’t been to yet that I wanted to try.   I told him I would meet him there and hurried to get there before him.   It’s not a very big place and I wanted to make sure we sat in the very back corner so when he got the crazies…..as he usually does…....
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Grand Orator's Address: As a Man Thinketh

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  A Look Back - From The Proceedings of The Grand Lodge of Texas  December 1924 Grand Orator's Address By Right Worshipful Brother Joe B. Hines, Grand Orator As a Man Thinketh Most Worshipful Grand Master, Right Worshipful Past Grand Masters, Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Masters, Right Worshipful Senior and Junior Grand Wardens and Brethren: During hundreds of centuries the human race has existed upon this planet, the sphere upon which we move and act, and we call the period of existence here our life.   In the vision of poets and the teachings of sages and the common experience of mankind is summarized by the symbolic term "A Pilgrimage." In that pilgrimage are encountered many storms, woeful terrors, mighty dangers, and distressing reverses.   Life, therefore, seems full of perplexity and sorrow.   Like the Arabian chief, whose trials are depicted in Holy Writ, humanity ofttimes yields to despair and breaks forth into the dread lamentation "Man is born ...
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The Profound Words Of A Mason’s Wife

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by James C. “Chris” Wiliams IV Well dear readers of this column, it was bound to happen sooner or later.   I always get a little stressed towards the end of the month when I haven’t heard from John.   I rarely talk to him during the month because we are both so busy, and I know that sometime during that last week of the month I will look up and see him driving into the shop or pick up the phone and he will be there.   The month was two days from being over and I hadn’t heard a peep from him.   Stress was not the descriptive word at this point……it was more like terror.   I have long worried that the day was going to come when John might be sick or the victim of some other calamity that would keep him from enlightening me and the rest of the Masonic Fraternity about what was on his mind and in his stomach for that month.   He was not answering his cell phone and neither he nor Mrs. Deacon was answering their home phone.   My first impression was that som...
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What Induced You and Goosed By a Goose

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  By James C. “Chris” Williams IV, Staff Writer  The phone call came about 10:30 last Thursday morning.   The person on the other end was attempting to disguise his voice but I knew who it was, and I figured I would play along….at least for a little while.   He wanted to know if he brought his vehicle in for an oil change, does the service include feeding the driver.   Duh….   I told him that he had called the right place at the right time because we were running a ”Blue Light Special” on an oil change and box lunch for only $250.00.   I heard him sputter a couple of times and when he finally replied he forgot to disguise his voice.   “You must be kidding charging $250.00 for changing oil and lunch,” he huffed.   “Weeeeeeeeeeeeell John,” I said.   “I am just protecting my company from bankruptcy.   You are the only one who would expect to eat while getting an oil change.” His cover being blown he chose to ignore my comment and sai...
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Cora’s 471 Grill And What Came You Here

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  Cora’s 471 Grill And What Came You Here To Do?      By James C. “Chris” Willimas IV – Staff Writer I had been enjoying the scenery as it passed steadily by on both sides of the truck.  I realized I hadn’t been out this way in a while and was glad I had decided to drive out here to meet John. Along with enjoying the sights ,  I  reflected  about John Deacon and what he has meant to me.  You know, over the past several years I have been seeing John every month for a meal and Masonic Light.  During that time there has been plenty of aggravation and some laughs, and oh yes, a whole bunch of money spent in the attempt to keep him properly fed.  Over that  time,  he has become so much a part of my life that I do look forward to sitting down with him and just talking.  He is my Brother in so many more ways than the obvious.  We have been asked quite a few times over the years by  people who  had no idea the ...
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