The Parade

 

Over the last week I spent many hours with my 1929 Ford Model A. Polishing, lubricating, oiling, and making sure everything on it was in good shape. I was going to drive that car in the 2022 Chicago Pride Parade. Yesterday I did just that and it was an experience.

Forty nine years ago I drove the lead car, actually a small truck, in the 1973 parade. That parade was nothing like yesterday. It was more like a protest, with large groups of people marching in the parade rather than watching it. Anyway, I really wanted to celebrate what I did forty nine years ago by doing it again.

Yesterday was a parade, a real big time parade. All the television stations were there to cover it, and along the street massive numbers of people cheered and waved. It was kind of weird, like we in the parade were some kind of celebrities. All I had to do was lay on my Ahh Ooogah horn and people went crazy cheering. Maybe it was because we were fifth back from the beginning of the parade. I suppose by the time float number one hundred and ten passed by, the people would be more subdued. All I can say is that I had a good time, and as we were making our way down Broadway the Mayor of Chicago came walking past us. Lori Lightfoot. As I reached out the window of my car to shake her hand she clearly had a look on her face that said, 'I don't want to shake that man's hand.' I did not pull back, but left my hand outstretched. Finally a small smile came across her face, and I got a nice firm handshake from the Mayor.

My arthritic knees are hurting very badly right now, especially my 'clutch' leg. I did three miles of driving at about two miles per hour in a non-sychromesh, stick shift, ninety three year old car. Oh, and about an hour in I had to pee.

Me driving the lead car in 1973.