[Leica] A few of my favorite things- 12

[John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>]

Actually it is one of Henry Chu's favorite things but he shared it with 
me and now it is one of mine too. I can only speculate what manner of 
egregious thread prompted Kyle...

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nothing better to do this lazy afternoon but go out and photograph some 
of
our local philadelphia cathedrals. i started with saint francis' down on
18th street. they'd previously told me no photography, so i wrapped my 
m6
in a bag of pennies and shot with a 15mm heliar during the services. i 
was
doing pretty good, every time i'd trip the shutter i'd make a very loud
"A-HEM" and then a hocking sound like i had a big phlegm buildup. about
half an hour into it, the sextant came over to me and grabbed me by the
shoulder, kind of forcefully. with his right hand he pulled up my 
sleeve,
then signaled to some bruisers (probalby mob guys, they were toughs) and
they dragged me out of the church -- one put a hand over my mouth, 
another
grabbed each of my feet and although i tried to make a big disturbance,
they did a pretty good job of keeping it discrete. there was no way i
was going to give up my photographs so i was ready to fight, but when
we got outside they informed me that it was my mechanical wristwatch 
they
were upset about. they pointed to a sign i hadn't seen before that said:
"no mechanical wristwatches!" they took my oyster perpetual, which,
apparantly, rings like a gong due to the design of the cathedral ceiling
and drives everybody batty. they put it in a drawer and said i could
consider it a donation. they didn't notice the camera, which gave me
some secret joy. i went back in to photograph the rest of the service.
here's where i'm always glad i carry a backup, i had an omega seamaster
hidden in my sock, and i put this on and, sure enough, now that i was
paying attention, i could hear that damn thing like a death watch beetle
banging banging banging like a steel rat in a trash can ... TICK TICK 
TICK
TICK TICK! and the sextant and the goons looking all around the church,
trying to find the culperet -- they didn't suspect me, as they'd already
swiped my watch, but i got the best of them.

what pisses me off most is when people think they have a right to tell
me that i can't wear a mechanical watch. i have no sympathy for a 
religion
that has rules as stupid as telling me what i can and can't do in their
"house of worship".

next week i'm going to wear TWO seamasters and an old Timex Acutime with
a brass case and leather wrist strap from the 1960's. on top of that,
i'll be carrying a 1952 Doxxa stop watch in my vest pocket.

keep winding that watch, it'll tell time,

kc

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