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I've got gas.
No, don't worry. That's actually a good thing here in Atlanta. See, there's just not a lot to be found around town or anywhere in the Southeast for that matter.
We're told it's a perfect storm of events. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike shut down refineries in the Gulf. Once they got up and running, apparently making the special blend we're supposed to use here in Atlanta wasn't at the top of their "To Go" orders.
Drivers here in Atlanta are kind of freaking out. We are obsessed with finding gasoline. Folks sound kind of like a bunch of frat boys talking about sex. "Did you get any? How much did you get? How long did it take? Was it premium?"
That's how I ended up spending a good chunk of a day driving around trying to find gas. When I finally committed to this project, I was working on about 1/8 of a tank of gas. Not a lot of cushion.
The first station I spent time at turned out to be a bad scene. Long lines that were not moving, people cutting in front of others, jockeying for best position. When I realized that only one pump was working I decided to set out for another station.
The second station looked oh so promising! A gas truck was right there filling the underground tanks as I pulled up.
"Eureka!" I thought. "I'm at the right place!"
Then it happened. The pumps broke.
Cash, credit, debit, first born? Didn't matter. Those pumps were not working for anyone.
This presented a huge tactical dilemma. Do I move onto the next station and face more lines or empty tanks? Or do I take my chances that they would figure out how to reset the pumps in a reasonable amount of time?
All the customers seemed lost, looking to everyone else for answers.
That's when it hit me.
This frustrating gas situation was also symbolic. (Hey, I can't control when this inspirational stuff hits me.) I realized that the very thing I needed, the thing to fuel me and power through my day was lying right beneath my feet. It was right there, yet I couldn't access it.
"Isn't that how it sometimes feels when I'm in a crisis?" I said to myself in the conversation in my head. Does this sound familiar? I might be having a hard time with something. I know where the very thing is that I need to make it better. It might be in my inspirational books, in the wisdom of friends and loved ones, with God. And yet, sometimes, I just can't get there. It's like my spiritual pump is broken. And just like the gas station attendants were clueless about how to reboot, I, too, can be clueless on how to reboot my own spiritual pump.
"How can these employees not know how to do something so basic and important?" we frustrated customers wanted to know.
Yeah, I guess I can ask myself the same thing some days.
So how did all this gas station crisis resolve?
Like most things do. By being still.
In this case, that meant standing by and giving the gas station employees a chance to figure out something. Anything.
What do you know, they figured out how to make Pump 2 work. Unfortunately for me, I was parked next to Pump 5. So, the fix wasn't the one I was looking for, but it was good enough, as a man in a shiny, white BMW motioned to me that I could scoot in front of him, as I had been waiting among the longest.
So, that's the story of how I got gas, which of course, you now understand is a good thing.
Since I don't have to drive much, that tank will probably last me a good 2-3 weeks. Chances are I'll find myself needing a spiritual fill-up long before I need a gas fill-up.
Here's hoping that I remember how to myself to exactly the sources I know will power me through. They'll be as close as the gas waiting below my feet.
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