It's Been Too Long, And I Have So Far To Go .....................

I've gotten that itch again...the need to tell people about the trivial thoughts that appear in my brain. Many moons ago, I taught myself to turn these trivial thoughts into blog topics. For a time, those thoughts disappeared (that's not to say I began having significant thoughts), and alas, in the past few weeks, I've noticed their presence again.

And so now I come here to store those thoughts. It makes me wonder though--will these thoughts add up to anything one day? Why do I bother? I suppose I like to humor myself, and occasionally, if my internal comedy button is turned up to high, I like to humor other people. And now I feel too indulgent, so I will stray back to my original intended topic.

All I can think about lately is gasoline. And since I drive a little ol' Honda, this whole gas conservation thing is new to me. Two weeks ago, my husband purchased an old bicycle for me to ride around town to complete my errands...I've stopped running errands. I only drive my car to work, which is now 20 minutes away compared to my previous job which was only seven minutes away. On this drive, I constantly watch my speedometer, edging away from the maximum speed posted on the highway. Since I've begun this, I've noticed my car uses a noticeably lesser amount of gas, and I am pleased.

But how, I constantly wonder, can I use even less? Every time I turn on the radio, some reporter is telling me that the cost of a barrel of oil has risen again. Who knows when it will end? Today I heard that John McCain is in favor of offering up a $300 million prize for the first person to develop an engine that doesn't run on oil. I'm beginning to hear of alternate fuels more mysterious and complex than cars running on corn or McDonald's grease waste: like Brown's Gas, a device that can be attached to your engine that converts water to a gas that raises the octane level of the gasoline and causes it to burn much more efficiently. Translation: less trips to the gas station, more trips to the grocery store. Phew, this stuff makes my head spin.

I'd like to end this blog with an anecdote. I'm working at a day camp with school aged children for the summer. We talked about oil spills one day, and I began by explaining where oil comes from, and how it is used after it is drilled. Essentially, as I told the children how much our daily lives are dependent on this mucky stuff dredged up from the depths of Earth, I was overwhelmed. I suddenly wanted to pick up a huge sign and protest somewhere. Get in people's faces and make them face reality. Accidentally spit on them during passionate speeches. Really feel like I can make a difference in the world on this subject.

But where? And how will I get there if it is too far to ride my bike?