AUGUST 14, 2003 THE LIGHTS WENT OUT!

Tempus fugit, time flies! Hard to believe it was 20 years ago that Toronto was plunged into darkness due to hydro electric power stations that checked out! The city was in darkness but private citizens came together as good people will and as far as I can recall we did muddle through. I was on my way home when the traffic lights did not work, pedestrians and motorists immediately sensed danger and acted accordingly. I think that my family of 4 were no more or less prepared for a power outage than the average family. There was food in the refrigerator and at least a couple of flashlights, the locks on the doors were sturdy but as night approached we lacked illumination of any sort. Our two pre teen daughters emerged from their rooms with a pair of candles shaped like Halloween characters, a witch and a hobgoblin that we could light and hope the city lights would eventually return. The candles were small gifts from a man we were treating to a Saturday lunch from the previous year just before October 31. F. was the Canadian agent for AP, Brequet and Breitling a new friend who further fueled my appreciation for watches at the time. Educated, sophisticated worldly a confirmed bachelor he oddly enjoyed socializing with my young family, got along very well with my wife they both joked that I might have fallen off a turnip truck but at least remained a work in progress haha. He picked up the candles from a card and paper seller for our young daughters before joining us at an Italian neighbourhood diner. F. was a spontaneous personage. The candles were greatly appreciated as we waited impatiently for the lights to return.

He and I drifted apart but I still think fondly of my watch journey tour guide and the moments of light his gifted candles offered during that Toronto black out. Tempus fugit!

At first I learned that he routinely did not return voice calls if the intruder did not own a yacht, later a small watch boutique owner informed me that F would not return any calls from persons who did not own a private jet plane. Lol. Was it FS Fitzgerald who wrote that the rich are different from you and me? I am thankful for the light 20 short years later, hope with sincerity that F. is happy living his best life still thinking about timepieces. He might be in Switzerland or Greece or any locale that private jets can land safely.