He’s the Sprinkles on the Ice Cream [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Allan Ganz of Peabody is an ice cream superstar.

Kids chant his name when the sound of his ice cream musical truck come within earshot: "Allan, Allan, Allan." He's as much a fixture in the former leather mill city as the statues in Central Square. Mr. Ganz spends his entire day making kids and adults happy, from 11 in the morning to around 9 p.m.

You can say Allan Ganz's entire life has been about ice cream. His father was an ice cream hero for decades, and Allan started learning the trade at the ripe old age of 10 years old when he started riding with his dad. Allan even fell in love with a lovely girl, who turned out to become his wife, at an ice cream parlor.

He's a character, too. He told WBZ TV of his wife, "She made me what I am today: broke".

Allan has regulars, like the guys at a neighborhood gas station, wiping the black grease from their hands, who run out like kids to get their ice cream fix for the day. He covers most of the events in Peabody, being greeted by thousands on a weekly basis.

But his 71 years as an ice cream legend may come to a slow halt. Allan Ganz is thinking about selling his iconic ice cream truck and retiring from a career that has earned him the Guinness World Record for having the longest career as an ice cream man. This could be his last summer on the road, but he promises to work at least one day a week for the new owner.

Allan reminds me of the days of Pony Boy and Good Humor, and how fast life rockets by. And if I can use ice cream as a metaphor, take time to enjoy the simple things, before they melt away. And that's the scoop.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos.