Cruisin’ Pallooza: Bringing Back Childhood Memories

For as long as I can remember, my Dad has been a car guy.  Over the years, he's had several classic cars but the one most special is his 1968 Lincoln Mark III.  Dad is pretty possessive about his cars and this is one I always admired from a distance...until the fall of 2011.

In November of 2011, my Dad was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called myleofibrosis.  Myelofibrosis is a disorder of the bone marrow, in which the marrow is replaced by scar (fibrous) tissue. This means that my Dad’s bone marrow was dry. Bone marrow is basically a factory where various blood cells are produced. Blood cells are a necessity to live. When a person’s bone marrow is dry, it means they’re not making the blood cells they need to survive.

Dad knew that he was sick, but didn’t know what was wrong when he came to visit me in the early fall of 2011.  Some of my most special times with Dad have been at car shows and I’ve always admired his cars, but wasn’t ever allowed to drive them or touch them.  That changed in the fall of 2011.  I don’t know if it was because Dad had a suspicion of how sick he was or if he just decided that I was mature enough to drive his car, so when he tossed me the keys to his 1968 Lincoln Mark III I hesitated.  Was this really happening?  I stalled and then kept asking if Dad was sure he really wanted to let me drive his car.  He was.

I took the keys and slid behind the wheel, gripping it tightly because I was terrified.  Dad was actually going to let me drive one of his cars!  He’d never let any of us 7 kids take the wheel.  Never.  I had trouble seeing over the dash (the downside of being short), but sat up as straight as I could and slowly eased out of the parking spot. I only drove around the parking lot, but it was bliss! Once I pulled the car back into the spot and got out of the car, I started laughing and couldn’t stop.  The fact that Dad let me drive his car was overwhelming, exciting and pure bliss.

If cars hold a special place in your heart whether through your Dad, grandpa or another special person in your life, why not revive some of those special memories?  At Cruisin’ Pallooza 14 June 28^th at the Broome County Fairgrounds in Whitney Point, you’ll have a chance to look at some amazing classic cars. If you ask, the owners will be more than happy to share their stories with you about where they got their car and why it holds a special place in their heart.

Wanna participate in Cruisin' Pallooza either as a vendor or by showing your vehicle? Send us an email here.