HAPPY HOLIDAYS - In 1979, I met Ben Bufford. He was my freshman English teacher at Madera High School. I had never had a teacher like him. Though, like with many of my teachers at the time, this student squandered the opportunity to learn from one of Madera’s finest educators. While we stayed in contact throughout my four years as a Coyote, we lost touch after my graduation and his retirement.

We reconnected in the '90s at the Madera Drive-In Swap Meet. This is where I learned more about my former teacher like he was also a member of the Freemasons. On Sundays, at the swap meet, we would talk about the lodge, where I was going through my degrees in Scottish Rite and his degree work in Arkansas.