Running on Empty

     Yesterday on my way home from work, my fuel warning light came on. My car is so polite that it asked me if I wanted it to find the nearest gas station. No, thanks.  I was too close to home, too tired to screw with it right that second. I'll fill up tomorrow, I thought.

     Today, when I hit the road to do some Christmas shopping, I passed three gas stations before I noticed that darn light. Oops.  I was so very close to my destination and had already risked my life and sanity driving the short distance to the nearest mall, so I decided to live on the edge and complete my shoppaganza before backtracking to the closest gas station.

     Luckily, I scored a few cute gifts and all the wrappings. Even luckier, I actually made it to the gas station, avoiding the awkward call to my husband to bring me fuel because I was stranded on the side of the road.

     Even though I averted disaster this time, I couldn't help but think of how I am always running on empty. Then, I look at posts from my friends, and I see a common thread: we all seem to be close to crapping out on the side of the road.

     This concerns me. We are all intelligent human beings who know that we need to fuel up to reach our destination.  Yet, here we are, blankly staring at a yellow fuel pump light, gripping onto the wheel,  hoping and praying we can make it to the next station, sometimes not knowing how many miles away it is.

     There is no prize for running until your tank is bone dry. Try to remind yourself of that when your vehicle starts sputtering, when you can't see through the windshield because it is so foggy. Life can be a long stretch of highway, so you might as well pull into a rest stop at regular intervals to make sure you'll have some energy when it's time to hit the road again. 

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