Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Mason Kid


Teaching English in Japan has brought me in contact with a few strange folks from time to time. Japanese people who study English on a regular basis seem to be a unique bunch. I got a diverse mix of personalities among my clients, not only at my base school, but also at the other schools under my control. Hell, one of my schools even has a stalker/fan of sorts. Although, there is this one kid who has really gotten my attention.

I refer to this eight year old as `the mason kid.` I am pretty sure that everyone knows who the free masons are. You know, the NWO masters of the universe crowd. Anyway, the Mason kid makes reference to free masons during every damn lesson. The first time he did it I was really surprised. We were doing a picture/word association activity. This kid feels that I am his best friend so he likes to play games with me. Anyway, it was his turn to draw a picture and I was suppose to guess what he was drawing. He proceeds to draw a pyramid with an eye in the apex. He turns to me and says, `This is Masons. Ryan is a Mason. Ryan is great person because Ryan is Mason.` My first reaction was, `What the hell did he just say?!` How does an eight old kid know anything about Masons? Better yet, why is he calling me a Mason? Hiding my shock I told him, `Do not say Mason to people. They will not understand.` He looked at me for a minute as if pondering what I meant. Finally he said, `Okay Ryan. I keep secret.` After that he wanted to do some work book study with me.

I thought his reference to Free Masons would be a one time thing. It was strange for sure but I thought he got the hint. I was dead wrong. The next lesson he again addresses me as,`Mason Ryan.` He does this in front of the office lady and his father. The office lady did not understand what he said. His father gave him a darting glare. Judging his father`s reaction I concluded that he is getting the Mason stuff from his father some how. The lesson went down smoothly but he constantly referred to me as `Mason Ryan.` After the lesson I paid close attention to this father`s hands; as well as the manner in which he shook my hand. Sure enough his father was wearing a Mason ring. He also shook my hand in a traditional Mason manner. It hit me like a ton of bricks: I am teaching a Japanese Mason`s kid to speak English. What hit me harder was the realization that he thinks that I am a Mason just like his dear old dad.

So, every lesson this kid referrers to me as `Mason Ryan` and wants to make sentences using the word Mason as often as possible. One time he even pulled off, `Godzilla is a Tokyo Mason.` At first I just kind of laugh about it, but now it is starting to creep me out. Recently, he has been saying, `Ryan go Tokyo Tower meet Tokyo Mason.` I do not know why he keeps saying such a thing but he seems kind of serious about the odd request. I am half tempted to tell this father about Mason trip his kid is on; but considering that his old man is a Mason I tend to shy away from the topic.I guess I am just going to go with the flow on this one. As long as his father pays for the lessons his kid can talk about Masons all this wants.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

i knew it all along...godzilla is a freemason (along with homer simpson)...thats y he can spit lightning frm his mouth and can never b defeated easily.

Jordan said...

Haha. That's a trip, man.

Anonymous said...

Hey I think I know why he keeps saying about Tokyo Tower... I actually work next to the tower and they have a freemason church/office just down the road. I think he's inviting you to go along with his father!!!

Jon Doe said...

@Iweyes--I know where the free mason building is at. I was once told to leave the area for taking a pic of it once. I think that maybe his dad takes him there and he wants me to join. Damn kids these days!

Anonymous said...

First that's going to be one hard sell for a kid...

Also if you want to take pictures of it mention you have a family member in freemasons and want to show them. They let me take heaps of pics and even took me on a tour through the building. There's a huge stain glass just inside the door.

Jon Doe said...

Wow! I am really surprised that they even let you in that place. Masons are usually pretty tight about allowing any non-Masons into their halls.

Anonymous said...

Give the kid some English homework and tell him to watch some BS movie like "National Treasure" and give an oral report on it. Then, once the kid spouts off some nonsense about it to his old man, maybe his father will stop spouting off about Mason BS to his kid.

Anonymous said...

This kid is a bit odd - Masons don't recruit. Around here, they drive cars with the symbol and the phrase "2B1 ASK 1". The only person I know is from the Tennessee backwoods - he wears the ring and has the emblem on his checks. He's indecisive about joining a lodge up here - lodges were segregated where he's from.

Jon Doe said...

I agree. This kid is a bit odd to say the least. I will not encourage such talk during lessons. The kid will just not take a hint. He has been drawing other odd things on the board as well. He likes to draw really strange symbols on the board. I still do not know what to make of the situation.

Anonymous said...

Damn strange! and funny!

Jon Doe said...

It is funny until the kid starts drawing a pyramid on the white board and writes N.W.O. at the top like he did this past Saturday.

Anonymous said...

Get a copy of this book and either leave it in plain sight in the classroom during this kid's lesson, use it as supplementary material, or give it to the kid's father. Someone would clog up the Washlet!

jessica said...

you know the star with six corners put it on top of the pyramid symbol
LOOK at the capitalized letters

Annuit
coeptiS
Novus
ordO
sedoruM

ASNOM switch the letters MASON