Ian Love-Jones is an educator, voiceover talent and the current Chaplain at Peninsula #128 in Portland Oregon. He is also author of Three Links Hijinks: An Odd Fellow’s Joke Book.
Lately, it’s inspired some awe in my life to consider what it means to become an elder. That may seem odd to say at 44 years old, but watching the seasons of life cycling across all of my many spheres has brought things more sharply into focus.
Mentors and long-familiar faces retire from the workplace and new employees emerge to begin their professional journey.
Childhood landmarks close, are torn down, or replaced with new spaces.
Media icons or venerable figures from family life, those we once thought or hoped would live forever in this world with us, are suddenly called home. And new humans (like my recently born great-nephew) step onto the world’s stage decades after we’ve already begun our personal marathon.
Aging Odd Fellows become less active or step aside, and as they do we see torches to take up, and important roles to take on.
What is the common thread across all of these examples, and spheres of life? We often presume that there will always be others at the fore: to lead the people, to fight the battles, to be the icons, and to create the legacies. And then one day we look up from the whirlwind of life before us, only to realize that we have seen and done more than many, that ours is the more seasoned outlook, and that others now looked to us for guidance, wisdom, inspiration, or protection. We have begun our journey into the role of the elder.
Time is a talented illusionist, and its remarkable sleight of hand can transform everything in the blink of an eye. I remember what a priceless comfort it once was to see a world full of (sometimes larger than life) inspirations, leaders, and pioneers. And that is something that every generation of people deserves to have, in their own season. I acknowledge the importance of elders that are willing to confidently own that space.
So where can the elders of today and tomorrow discover the true dimensions of their mantle? For me as an Odd Fellow, involvement in the Encampment is about embracing that particular journey and transition. The titles of Patriarch, Matriarch, or elder are not just about being the oldest or most experienced within a family. More broadly, those titles describe leaders, nurturers, and protectors. Those monikers describe people who provide reassurance, and a positive example. As elders within the Encampment we should inspire, teach, and develop others – all while continuing to learn.
Are you an elder within Odd Fellowship? If so, how are you getting the most out of your position so that you can nurture and inspire others? Are you on your way to becoming an elder? How attentively are you learning from the leaders ahead of you, knowing that one day you might fill their shoes?
Heart in Hand 