Casting My Vote

Yesterday, I was on my way to vote (about a mile from my house) when I ran out of gas. So close, and yet so far.

It was still pre-dawn, and there was no shoulder to pull onto on the lonely rural blacktop.

I abandoned my car, hoping for no mishaps with my stranded vehicle, blinkers being the only defense against oncoming traffic rounding the corner.

I returned, breathless, with my trusty nearly empty gas can from my house 1/8 of a mile away.

The jog to and from my house included harrassment from the neighbor's bulldog and the joy of an intense hill climb. Every flabby jiggle reminded me how little strenuous exercise I do. Back on the scene, I emptied my nearly empty gas can into my totally empty gas tank.

To borrow a line from a "Wall Flowers" lyric, "I turned the engine but the engine didn't turn." The empty fuel light continued its mockery of me.

In addition to snagging my trusty gas can, I'd managed to find my 10-year-olds' wallet (he's the only one with cash... by the way, when is payday again? In my case, it will be re-payday... back to my son!)

So, I had a few dollars and no gas. A motorist came along, named Jim, I recognized his face. Jim took me to the nearest town four miles away. It took $6.75 cents to fill that gas can (I could almost fill my car back in the day for that amount!) I gave Jim a $2 tip and he returned me to my car.

While filling my car in the early morning light, a motorist stopped behind me to protect me from oncoming traffic. Another motorist, a woman, slowed from the other direction to ask if I needed help. A woman! Wow, what a wonderful community I live in. No fear, just friends. I am surrounded by kindness. I am hereby casting my vote for kindness and community. We've got it where I live, no matter what the changing color (red or blue) of our state!