I am dyslexic and proud

• My name is James Smith,I have been a mason for nearly twenty years,my mother lodge was Becontree lodge that hat to close, my next lodge was a daughter lodge of Becontree,I am now in GUELPH LODGE 1685.I feel that this is one of the best lodge’s and some of the best brethren. I have been Marster 6 times of these two lodges .One of the most important things was when I got my LGR rank,it means a lot to me.I have been a DC along with all other offices,i am just lerning the inner workings, to pot one of the members in the chear, that mit not mene a lot to some people, but to the members in my lodge it Duse, they do give me lot of serpot .
• Dyslexia is a hard word to spell, when you are dyslexic. I was doing quite well at school,but at the age of 7 I got mengitis, and it change my life forever I had meningitis of the brain.I was in london hospital for a few weeks and my mum was told, if I got though that first night and the next day it look hopefall that I would servive.The year was 1965 that is where it all start for me,i am 64 years old now,and have had a lot of ups and downs all my life,because of my condistion. There is one person I completly put all my trust in, and that is my wife and best friend Christine,since we have been together Her help and love has all was been they for me our lives together. In my early years I was not certain what I was going to do for a living. My first job was a van boy when I left school with no education,in fact I had the reading ability of a 8 year old,so it was going to be a up hill strugal when I left school, i when back to even Clarss when I was about 25, when my children where born I spent longer there than I was in school .Because I always tried my best and people seemed to appreshat that,graduly I grew in confedence, and my next job was working on a line making transformers,I found that I was good with my hands,and my spelling was not a reqerement,needed for this job.I stayed in this position till I was 18 years old and sadly was made redundent,otherwise I would probed still be there.I didnt let the grass grow as I enjoyed work and had a few interviews,one of which opened my eyes to how people,see people like me how are.Dyslexia on one okasion I was requied to complet a form,and when I asked for help with spelling I was told that I was no good to him.It dented my confedenc,but fortuntly i found myself a position making nuts and bolts,and when I explained i struggled to read and write,my new boss sed can you use your hands I said yes,and he said that I wasnt going to be the secrtre, lernd how to use laves and cut and make tools to .Then I when to work at fords trater plant working,on the line till I was about 20. Then I got a job as a lorry driver I drove all over the UK.until I got married for the ferst time My next job was in,print finishers and this is where lert my trade,I found I was good at this,arter 10 years or so talt my self how to print.That was hard work.I brolt a,print merchene and I pot in my shed, and started a small print besniss.I had two merchens 1 was letter press,the outh was lotho, I had lot of customers.One was a magician and worked for him 2 or 3 years,until I delivered some work to him, and he paid in cash,and asked me put on his bill paid in cash,and I asked him how to spill it,cart you spill he said I said no.I never herd from him again? So I left the place I was working and took aches and started a new business as a print finisher I was in this for about 20 years and I was in that trade for 30 years in total until I sold it. Than I was out of work for a shot time ,I see a job for a driver in the safe cumperny. Again I drove all over England Wales Scotland and Europe delivering safes, after 9 years on the road,the painter quit so I decided to have a go at painting safes. I found out I was quite good at this, I found it easy to take them apart,to make them look better. I started to learning how to cut keys for safe locks,I am also learning how to pick locks, this sour of stuff is interesting to me. Not like.Reading. I have met nice and kind people,and some right arso to, but being dyslexic for me as made me stronger man. When i became mason I started a now chapter in my life,my richal book is the only book I have ever rede all of it,and I keep reading it.It dus not sink in,but I can look at a engine and just no how to take it a part and pot it back to gever,but books have always been a mister to me, spelling is the same I don’t get it, it takes lot effert, reading and some of it goes in,but most of stays in the book and not in me, but I will always keep on reading it. I will do my best for my friends and brother’s in freemasonry,and I hope I can help some .Dyslexic people who would like to join freemasonry, and enjoy all that it offer them, like it as helped me.I find it hard to do the richal work,but if you are doing your best,that is fine not all of us make good richalest, but we are still good mason. If it comes esey to you just think to some of us it’s really hard,and we deserve the right to have ago. I have had in my life and my Masonic life setbacks,I have been looked down on,but it make me won’t to have go more, so to all of you that think it’s out of the rech for you,it’s not I am a much better person for being dyslexic.If I can help one person to see his woerth I fill I have done my best. I thank all my friends in my lodge for there help and serpot, for at the age of 64 I would like to go on to help ouths, not only in masonry but in my hobbies too. I have worked with adout education,i spent longer in evening classes than I spent in school, I did learn a lot but most of it was a bout, me and how I want to help ouths like me.And to let the ones how think we are all theick, but we are not I now no difent. I wold like to thank my famly for all the love and supot and help.There is so much more I have learned I did a city & gild in electrics for a for a hamcher radio license.I have done my Open water scuba diver, I have parst my motorbike test, all of these need me to do lots of learning, in some cases I got through by the skill of my teeth. But am still learning as we no one nous it all .If you have fund this of some help I’m glad to help, if not and you fill that people like me should not have a chance at doing rachel you would miss out,on some Brothers will give there best, that would be a shame. I am proud to be a Dyslexic mason.Thank you for reading this and I would like to wish all mason good health and happiness in all that you do.