Make sure you have read the previous In time blog before you go further.
From 2010 On Time school was in session as I negotiated with Father Time and he would answer. Eventually in September 2012 I would surrender my will but there were some fun learning curves along the way.
Learning what On Time means: Early January 2012 I went to The Gold Coast with my brother for a break. Unintentionally my cousin and her dutch boyfriend happened to come up for a holiday after spending New Years Eve in Sydney. On the weekend we decided to go out altogether and see the nightlife. I hit up my VIP friend ‘Bobby Sanchez’ and he gave me a rundown on what was Hot on The Gul Gus. I chose the classiest option from the list: EAST nightclub in Broadbeach (the current site of Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub). I was familiar with the Catastropha that was Cavil Avenue from previous trips.
We went on Saturday night which was full on and made some Melbourne friends.
We also stopped in again on Sunday night after dinner. It was the 8th of January and much quieter than Saturday night. The official Photographer was in good form getting us both nights!
There was a group of friends taking photos near us and their little brunette machine friend in a black pencil dress was playing photographer. She was on purposely staying out of the photos. We traded nods, smiles and looks. Eventually when she was finished she approached me whilst I was at the Bar and asked ‘so are you going to buy me a drink?’ I looked, smiled and replied ‘No’ She replied stunned ‘why not’. Stunners aren’t used to rejection. ‘You have a boyfriend’ I replied. She asked ‘how do you know that?’
I just had a knowing she did. It was one of those times where I had an unnatural some might say supernatural understanding. I replied ‘I just know you do.’ She was shocked and said 'you don’t know that.' We cheekily continued back and forth till eventually she conceded ‘Yes your right.’
I told her ‘I’ve been the guy with a girlfriend and I wouldn’t appreciate it if a random guy was buying her drinks. I can put myself in his shoes.’ She continued to flirt and threw out the ‘well he won’t know.’ I laughed and thought here is a perfect opportunity to quote Mr 305. I prefer to be all in anyways plus I wanted to call her bluff and do away with the coy games. I had experience in being messed around by girls who eventually dropped the ‘oh my boyfriend works at the BHP building you work in…’ 3 hours into some deep grafting!
So I said ‘ OK! Forget about your boyfriend and meet me at my hotel room!’
On the actual second I finished saying that line the DJ switched tracks and put on the Chorus by Mr Worldwide himself: “Forget About your boyfriend and meet me at the Hotel Room!“
Hotel Room Redemption! Who would of thought!!!
I started laughing! She was like a dear in the headlights and in complete shock. Father Time was schooling her! I laughed and pointed ‘even the DJ agrees!’ It was a golden moment! I couldn’t of planned it any better! I was On Time!
When she finally came back to earth I said ‘If you want to be single do the right thing and end it with your man. Then I’d definitely buy you a drink but don’t do it like this. Don’t make the mistakes I have made, the guilt will haunt you.’ Eventually she walked back to her friends with a lot on her mind.
She didn’t talk to any other guys that night!
Fast forward a year to early 2013 and I was travelling into Melbourne city weekly to see a jaw specialist on Collins St. One of my old close female friends who had helped me through some dark times had thrown out the old weightless obligatory ‘when you’re in the city lets catch up.’ We will call her Dani as she looks like a young brunette Danii Minogue. We did have history but our life goals and paths were going different places. Giving Dani the benefit of the doubt her invitation was sincere I messaged her I would be free around 4pm. Dani normally finishes her government job around that time. She messaged back a few hours later something about leaving early. Then the next week I tried again giving her more notice and I got a similar dodgy reply like sorry I didn’t see your message... So the third week I said forget it. ‘Father time if you want me to meet her you set it up.’
Once I finished my appointment instead of heading towards Flagstaff Station where Dani would normally catch her train I slowly made my way to Spencer St/Southern Cross Station. I ran into an old mate/rival from footy & cricket playing days. Howey, who was working at the convenience store fixing a door. We chatted a little and then I stopped into the Ken Duncan Gallery up the road for a quick looky looky.
The Art and Ken Duncan’s Photos were worth seeing.
Eventually I got to the station and as I came down the escalator onto the platform for my line who is sitting directly in front of me! Dani! Her mouth wide open in shock! I had to laugh and she sheepishly blushed as she knew I knew she was trying to avoid me. Be meaningful with your words and invitations…
We caught the train together and had a cordial coffee at her place. When it was time to go I had one of those knowing moments. I told her this is the last time we will see each other and it came with weight. She was taken a back a little. I just knew that was it for our paths. There was nothing sinister about that statement and I knew she will live long and prosper. 10 years later and that word has held true. We don’t live to far from each other and I have ran into her friends multiple times but never her. Dani’s a good kid and was there for me when many weren’t! On another timeline things may have been different…but its that whole destiny thing!
In fairness I could write a book about being On Time. These are just some of the highlights. The more I understood it and practiced the key to staying On Time the greater the meet ups would be. In the natural my friends and family will tell you I am always late however they just don’t understand the timeline I run on. Four days late can still be On Time....
I will give one more On Time story from Athens Greece. It was Friday 19 June 2015 and I was staying by myself at a friend’s place in Zografou. Mike a Canadian missionary friend picked me up and took me out for Da Vinci ice cream in the city center. 1st our USA missionary friend Karina was sitting out the front opposite Da Vinci:
Then the Pontian Christos happens to walk by and starts laughing when he sees us. We ended up running into all these other friends. It was a convergence of people from different countries South Africa, Romania, Albania, Crete, Canada, USA and Australia. Justin, an Athenian, pulled up on his scooter with a friend and was loosing his mind when he saw everyone from all over the world together. He remarked he never runs into people he knows in Athens. JustIn Time!
The big troupe of us were now looking for somewhere to eat. Late summer dinners/Parea is definitely Kingdom Culture. Being the tourist I followed along as Christos tried to see if the rooftop restaurants had room for all 12 or so of us. We took some shady roads and ended up in this cool spot of restaurants lining steps just under the Acropolis.
I started chatting to one of the restaurant waiters/spruikers who knew excellent English whilst Christos did his thing. We connected and talked a while and I told him some of my signature jokes which had him laughing. Eventually Christos said he knew another rooftop place and we moved on.
Christos sharing a joke whilst Arthur from South Africa and Nick from Crete aren't sure whether to laugh or cry, whilst the Acropolis sits in ruins in the background.
The next night I had an early dinner with friends so I made the most of my free Saturday night and took some photos around Athens center. Then I went back to visit that waiter trying to remember the path we took the night before. I took a small but meaningful gift. Vasilli is his name. He remembered me and was thankful I would come back to say hello. He wanted me to eat but I told him another time I will come back with friends.
A few days went by and I was leaving for London early the next morning. Around 4pm on Monday 22 June I went down to my local Mikel Coffee in Zografou to check in to my flight and get a Fredo Espresso. I had been going there every morning and sometimes every afternoon for my coffee fix. The Greeks take their coffee seriously! I walk in and who is sitting in front of me.
Vasilli!
He exclaimed what are you doing here! I was like this in my local Mikel! He is like no way ‘this is my local Mikel!’ The Mikel staff there laughing because by now they knew me and they also knew Vasilli, the regular! I sat down with him and we clicked for over an hour. He understood the times and that fate had brought us together. Athens is a city of over 3 million plus add all the tourists in peak season. In the natural I had people calling me wondering where I was because I was meant to be helping/observing at a refugee feeding kitchen. To them I was late and possibly even rude. However to Father Time I needed to be with Vasilli. I was aware the feeding kitchen was overstaffed so I wasn’t letting anyone down in that regard.
Vasilli was waiting for his daughter to come and explained to me his life and how things didn’t work out with her mum. He very much loved his daughter and looked forward to their coffee catch ups. I explained the gift I gave him and showed him what I was doing in Europe. Eventually I had to leave for dinner with Christos and friends. We parted ways and I didn’t exchange contact details. If fate can bring us together we will meet again when its meant to be is how I have learnt to run it. Plus I did know where he works…
The next year when I was back in Athens I randomly turned up to the restaurant Vasilli worked at hoping to surprise him! Sure enough he was there!
As you should know by now we like gifts & surprises. A good surprise has a way of lifting people!
Canadian Mike joined me along with Albanian Bruna for dinner. Vasillis’ night was well and truly made when his daughter and her friends came to eat. She sat on the table behind us so I got to meet her as well. Lets just say the ouzos flowed on the house that night. Greek hospitality we all can learn from.
Vasilli's daughter photo bombing
The next Saturday I popped in a little later by myself and we were able to sit down for some boy time and a catch up. Kyriacou who had heard the stories and worked with Vasillis joined us for some fun.
Being On Time can have its drawbacks when you keep running into people who are still In Time and can’t read the signs. The females especially can take it the wrong way and think you are stalking them. If only they knew the full circumstances leading up to meeting them… there is a blog right there titled Runners from Destiny! Its probably safer to keep it for the screenplay that is in the works.
Now I ask Father Time to have more fun with my On Time meet ups and because he trusts me sometimes I even call the shots with the special people! So far he hasn’t let me down.
Things can get even more challenging since the world has moved into Bullet Time. The meet ups and the opportunities are opening and closing at Bullet speed. Time is shorter than ever and we need to learn to step Out of Time.
This is a straight lead in for the 3rd blog in this series:
Bullet Time!
- DT