I found this gem online last night and it is just amazing what this picture captures. Not one, but two enigmatic personalities in Toronto's downtown core, Yonge and Gould. Fitting for me since I live 250 metres from the exact spot and walk by everyday for my morning cafe at Timmmmiiees. Brings back that nostagic pain you feel when you look back on the past and wish to relive it again perhaps different, perhaps the same.
So who are these two enigmatics?
Well the first guy sitting down probably needs no introduction if you visited the downtown core in the 70's and 80's. It is Joe Smolij (everyone called him Joe Smoley). A Toronto legend of chess for two decades would set up his chess pieces at Yonge and Gould and play anyone for 50 cents or a dollar. I seem to recall when I got to play him in the mid eighties before his health was in decline it was two bucks. I always lost on purpose as I knew this was his bread and butter. The cool thing is he was part of community. Everyone looked after him so to speak. He was never alone. Luckily he reunited with a sister from Germany and moved back home post likely in his 70s at the time.
The other enigmatic figure, Bryon Nickoloff. He is in the background wearing the Jean jacket. An International Master of chess, should of, could of, would of been a Grandmaster of Chess his one true Goal would of been acomplished if......
I have heard dozens of what ifs. What ifs do nothing but continue the enagmatic nature of the human being. Unfortunately Bryon Nickoloff passed in 2004 from FUCKEN cancer. He was a genius, absolutely brilliant in his own way. If you ever had the chance to sit down and have a conversation with this man you would of been amazed at the intellect, compassion, generosity this man had. Luckily I did and I will carry that with me forever.
A troubled emotional life, and a life with alcohol ended his dream there is no denying that, but what was the real cause, that led to this trauma. That is what make it so enigmatic. Perhaps solving is not the right word.
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