Corvette Nation & Other Ramblings

The initial intent of this page was to open the window on Corvette activities outside of the local Corvette club. I may have lost my way on that road paved with good intentions, but a couple of happenstance occurrences transpired in the past few months that have given me reason to refocus. These events are personal but indicative of good things that can happen to you with a little luck and just being in different places at the right time.

The first happening was in Bowling Green where Barbara and I were attending the Anniversary Celebration at the NCM. We had finished dinner and upon returning to the hotel we decided to check out the lounge to see if anyone we knew had straggled in that day. A couple seated at a table began waving, it seemed, to us but not knowing them I looked over my shoulder to see if there was anyone behind me. There wasn't. The man continued to wave and smile so we walked over to see what the cause of mistaken identity could be. His opening statement was “ You don't know us but we saw your Corvette shirts and wanted to talk to you about the weekend”. They were from a small Texas town located on the Gulf Coast and had not long ago purchased a 2008 convertible.

With a new membership in the NCM, they decided to drive to the museum on their own and see what this Corvette life was all about. Their personalities, zest for life, and instant likeability made them instant candidates for a broader perspective on the lifestyle. Needless to say, after a tour on the back roads the next day to the Lincoln historical sites at sometimes triple digit speeds, their Corvette pulse had definitely quickened. We learned he was a retired oil company employee and presently the mayor of that small town he hailed from. With hurricane Gustov swirling in the Gulf, he spent a lot of time on the phone, but luckily it veered North. Long story short, in that one weekend, we became fast friends and had many enjoyable moments together. As a result, he upgraded his membership to a lifetime membership, registered for the 2009 Caravan, and will drive to Charlotte to join our caravan to the museum.

We also met the Ambassador for the Pawleys Island Corvette Club and he and his wife became part of our merry group. More on this friendship later.

The second event that happened was the QCCC trip to Charleston for the Murder Mystery party. The Charleston Corvette Club met us for dinner and with nearly one hundred people for dinner at the California Dreaming restaurant, we were asked to integrate ourselves with their members. Another opportunity to meet new people and form new bonds. Always looking for ways to sell caravan merchandise, I was able to provide the Charleston club with flags and clings for their members registered for the trip. Also, I got to meet their ambassador and local caravan leader. New friendships formed.

Back to our Texas friends. Hurricane Gustov missed them but hurricane Ike hit them dead center. Their beach house was leveled and their primary home damaged. On a sporadic basis he was able to communicate with, either us, or our friends in Pawleys Island . As a result of our joint concerns about Texas , constant contact was maintained with the Pawleys Island couple and they invited us to stop by for lunch on our way home from Charleston . Invitation accepted.

So what's the purpose of this dissertation on the Marianos making new friends? Nothing much other than demonstrating how far reaching the Corvette family is and how quickly and easily friends are made and new Corvette owners indoctrinated into the lifestyle by just roaming around in that land called Corvette Nation.

Save the Wave!

Paul Mariano