Three Generations, One Gearshift: How the Auto Show Became Our Family Tradition

Every year since I was three, my dad has taken me to the New York Auto Show. It was our thing: the lights, the engines, that "new car smell that was probably toxic"—pure magic. I still remember the year we met David Hasselhoff and saw KITT from *Knight Rider* in real life. I lost my mind.

Somehow, I found one of the many photos from that day (Mayor Lou was an amateur photographer and brought his Canon AE-1. The Hoff and that beautiful talking Pontiac? That memory is etched into my DNA.

Fast forward 47+ years (Gulp!) There's Koby, who is now almost 15 years old if you can believe it.

And for the last six years, we've kept that same ritual alive. Every year, we go to the auto show together. Same place, same energy, same magic.

Except now, I get to watch *his* eyes light up entering the Javitz Center and making a b-line for the exotic vehicles section to ogle the newest McLaren, Koenigsegg, Rimac, or — in this year's case — an actual Bugatti Chiron! He's a legit gearhead. And I couldn't be prouder.

What my dad passed down to me wasn't just a love of cars. It was the ritual. The time. The joy of discovering something together. And now I get to pass that on to my not-to-little boy.

Life feels heavier than usual these days. But moments like this remind me that the world isn't entirely broken. There's still space for joy, wonder, and connection—especially across generations.

What traditions are you passing down? What sparks are you keeping lit?

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