EVEN IN THE BLACK OUT!

Greg Lynch, President - August 16, 2003

It was Thursday, August 14, 2003. I had lunch on lower Fifth Avenue with Club member Charles Coupet. We talked about Club service and particularly about the Wheel Chair Foundation. Charles was getting involved and I was anxious to hear more. We finished lunch with something cold then each rushed off to continue our busy afternoons. I needed to get a client’s employees enrolled in their new health plan. As I was printing instructions, the light above my head flickered. Machines turned off, then on, and then everything stopped. It was 4:11 p.m. We fired up our battery powered radio, then with the realization that the power might be down for a while, we got water, beer, ice and a flashlight from the corner store. The black out of ’77 was suddenly a vivid memory but, now over twenty-five years later, I didn’t really know what to think or expect.

At dusk, we headed over to Silvio Amori’s Restaurant, Il Covo dell’Est, on Avenue A and 13^th Street. The place was packed and the buzz was very up-beat. We had a great time. Home again, the streets were black and the night hot. At least we had water, and cold showers were taken before we all went to bed. At about 4:30 a.m., I woke and gazed out into the darkness, interrupted only by a bright moon. It reminded me of the long nights after 9/11. For a moment I was anxious, then sleep came and then the heat of morning. We boiled coffee in a pan over the gas the way my great aunt used to do. I discovered my old black phone was working and started calling friends, particularly those alone, and Club members. Everyone seemed to be in good shape. Some already had power. One friend was in the hospital, so we headed out to St Vincent’s in the afternoon sun. He was glad for the visit. On the way back, we found a Mr. Softee truck. Our just desserts! I read a bit, including from Paul Harris’ My Road to Rotary, and after the sun set played a bit of rummy. The power came on for us at exactly 9:06 p.m. It was a blessed relief. How fortunate we are to live in such a great country and to have so much. How fortunate we Rotarians are to have a way to share with those that Rotary helps around the Globe. Giving to the Rotary Foundation and becoming Paul Harris Fellows, is a great and happy way for all of us to give service and to share.

The next morning I was up bright and early at the Union Square farmers market, shopping for fresh produce for the weekend. There among the greens, I ran into a couple of friends from church. After sharing “black out” stories, they asked me about my Rotary pin. In jest, one of them exclaimed “can you get me a scholarship?” Rotary is, indeed, the largest scholarship program in the world. I explained that, while I was not handing out scholarships myself, there were many ways to give back to the New York community through Rotary. That’s a message that needs to go out every day, to all our friends.

Well now with life “returning to normal”, I spent part of the afternoon shopping for the kids of Tinogasta, Argentina. I’m heading down there next week to meet with the local Rotarians and to look in on the kids at the school we help support. It’s hot there on the desert and no air conditioning. Frankly, I’m OK with that. The thought of sharing some time with a great bunch of kids and helping to keep the stars in their eyes will get me through more than one sultry night.