I read this story and felt it was an appropriate reminder of what freemasonry is all about.
This story is about a salesman who was in a new job after being unemployed for a while.
The salesman was new and could barely afford petrol. His car broke down and he took it in to the local garage. He noticed that the mechanic wore a Masonic ring. Having heard that a Mason was honour bound to help another Mason, he identified himself as a Mason and asked if there was anywhere he could stay for free. The mechanic took him to the local motel and paid for his room. The mechanic then met him the next morning and bought him breakfast. The mechanic then fixed the salesman's car and sent him on his way without charge.
Some years later, that same salesman joined the order. But in hindsight his actions grew to bother him. One day he was travelling through the town once again. So he stopped and looked up the mechanic. He told him his story, confessed his dishonesty and offered to repay the mechanic.
The mechanic replied that he had always known that the salesman was not a Mason when he first visited. He also said "I didn't help because you were a Mason -- but because I was."
That one story says so much about freemasonry and the reasons for which most of us join.