I have been fighting against their wilful ignorance,  and their hatred of the outside world. I’m not saying I’m 100 percent, but I’ve been long time working on it.

I am a man who went through a horrible childhood and adolescence, but went through the rough times to make myself a success story.

I see myself more as a cat person, but I can get into dogs.

I practice meditation, to calm my mind, to help sort out my thoughts. I’m also working on midfulness, and I try not to rush around as I go about my dialy routine.

In February 2017, after I retired, I made a trip to Israel. I had a hotel room in Tel Aviv, along Kaufmann Street, facing the Mediterranean. I toured the city, visiting the IDF Museum, the Rabin Museum, the Palmach museum, and hung out at the cafes at Jaffa Station. I took a bus to Jerusalem and arrived at the Kotel. I washed my hands, and scribbled a note to put in the crevice of the Kotel, as per the tradition. I had no idea what to pray, so Ijust placed my hands on the Kotel-that was my prayer. I look forward to the next time I go there.

My faith gives me guidence in dealilng with the issues in my life, and I believe there is definately a realm beyond what our senses show us.

I’m into moderate weather, not too hot, not too cold. I can’t handle extreme weather.

I’m perfectly happy with my name, JOHN OLIVER MASON. It has an oaken dignity to it.

I reach a point where I say, “I need to slow down,” and I look for time to just sit and chill.

I’m great at writing, working the polls on Election Days, and public speaking, among other things. I’ve just scratched the surface.