It's All Relative

Here's a picture and a story from a nearby newspaper about a "gas-war" (remember those?).

I was struck by the irony of all these people piling into a little gas station - frantically hoping to buy gas for $2.99 a gallon.

Think how quickly we become conditioned.

Five years ago, our proverbial jaws would have dropped to the proverbial ground if someone had told us we would be paying $2.99 for a gallon of gas - and happy to get it at that price!

Don't mind me, I'm probably just jealous because I wasn't there to fill up my tank.

That same morning I had hurriedly stopped to get enough gas to get me to work without a lot of anxiety over how many miles my little truck would still go after that EMPTY light comes on. I put in $5 worth in record time. Then after work, when I stopped at Walmart (my 'regular' gassing up place)- there was a little back-up because the cost was around $3.38/gal. The guy in front of me couldn't get his credit card to work so after struggling with the automated reader awhile, he went to the window to pay. Apparently they couldn't get it to work either because when I finally decided to give up my spot and try another aisle, I saw a line at the pay window all behind my friend. So without the low prices - buying gas that day was rather frustrating for me.

If I wanted to spiritualize this I would point out how easily we can become conditioned to things that once shocked us ... the decline of morals, the loss of individual freedoms, the rise of evil in the world. Like the frog in the pot of gradually boiling water, we just get all cozy with things as they are. Until it's too late.

But I don't think gas prices are all that apocalyptic. Especially when we consider that oil is one of those natural resources with which God has richly blessed our country.

What's that you say?

The "leadership" in our government won't allow the tapping of these natural resources with which God has richly blessed our country?

You say, they think we should all feel guilty for being Americans and just check our tire pressure, buy squiggly-shaped light-bulbs, and keep re-using the same filthy canvas bags to hold our groceries?

Oh, now that's scary!