The things I carry
I never run out of gas. When the light comes on my dashboard, I usually have about 80 miles left in the tank, but I never push it. Why would I? It is not a competition. No one gets a prize for being lowest on gas when they pull into the gas station. Besides, it terrifies me. All broken down, by the side of the road...
I have a very anxious nervous system by nature. I never leave the house without my extra car key in my purse (which I've never had to use). I never leave the house without at least one of every pill I have to take (I have used those occasionally). I always have lipstick, blusher, eye pencil, a comb, a little container of hand cream in my purse. God knows those cosmetic emergencies are the worst. I always have a slim case with a couple index cards and three pens. You never know when you have to write something down. Inspiration is fleeting. Being without a pen has traumatized me on more occasions than I can count, so I try to make sure there are extra pens in my car too. (I once tried to write with the eye liner, but alas it was too soft and smeary. Good for defining the curve of an eye, not an idea.)
In my car I also carry flashlight, maps, an old pair of running shoes (sometimes with socks). There is usually an empty water bottle or two, good for refilling from drinking fountains in the park. I used to have an extra set of iPod headphones, but they developed a short, so if I want to go for a walk spontaneously, I must just listen to the birds (not exactly an emergency situation).
Of course I always have my cellphone and iPod and their chargers with me too. Power is essential for keeping the damn things working. Sort of like the gas thing. Essential to always be powered up, plugged in ready to go. It makes me very anxious to drive off without the phone charger, which I lost for several days after the trip to Illinois for the 2nd reception. I kept obsessively turning on and off my phone, supposedly to preserve it's life in case of actual emergency which never actually came.
I think I believe that the minute I am unprepared for an emergency it will occur. Though I am struggling to remember the last emergency that befell me. I remember when the deer hit me, not vice versa. But alas most of my calls to the AAA have been because I left my light on in the car in the garage and ran down the battery. Power issues again.
This need for fuel for power is really the impetus for this post.
This morning my dear husband realized that he had run out of gas on the way home last night. Fortunately for him, he was just at the top of the hill from home, and coasted into the garage. This morning he realized he'd forgotten to borrow my car to run out for gas last night. So instead of an early morning walk at the park, I waited here while he did that, and ruminated about his problems with refueling. He runs out of gas all the time. He luckily has a hybrid which can go a short ways on its battery power, like a golf cart, at 15 mph. Maybe that makes him cocky. It is also a game with him to see how many miles he can go on a tank of gas. He has an invisible competition going. Also he's kind of spacey, too much on his mind. And though he complains about this, I've observed that he likes it that way, likes to fill his life with lots of clutter and stuff, like his office, his car. It takes a lot to power him, metaphorically and in actuality.
Obviously I had not spent enough time ruminating before he came back, refueled, and took off, calling me from the car. I had to chide him that I never run out of gas. Which of course, in the competition he has going in his head, requires a verbal assault. I had to hear his heated ten minute rationalization and explanation of this particular gas out, and his final cut: maybe it is just that I have the time to get gas for my car.
I guess it all depends where your particular priorities lie.
A relationship can be just like a car, out of gas, not enough time, and who can say who wins this particularly invisible competition that only two can play.
I have a very anxious nervous system by nature. I never leave the house without my extra car key in my purse (which I've never had to use). I never leave the house without at least one of every pill I have to take (I have used those occasionally). I always have lipstick, blusher, eye pencil, a comb, a little container of hand cream in my purse. God knows those cosmetic emergencies are the worst. I always have a slim case with a couple index cards and three pens. You never know when you have to write something down. Inspiration is fleeting. Being without a pen has traumatized me on more occasions than I can count, so I try to make sure there are extra pens in my car too. (I once tried to write with the eye liner, but alas it was too soft and smeary. Good for defining the curve of an eye, not an idea.)
In my car I also carry flashlight, maps, an old pair of running shoes (sometimes with socks). There is usually an empty water bottle or two, good for refilling from drinking fountains in the park. I used to have an extra set of iPod headphones, but they developed a short, so if I want to go for a walk spontaneously, I must just listen to the birds (not exactly an emergency situation).
Of course I always have my cellphone and iPod and their chargers with me too. Power is essential for keeping the damn things working. Sort of like the gas thing. Essential to always be powered up, plugged in ready to go. It makes me very anxious to drive off without the phone charger, which I lost for several days after the trip to Illinois for the 2nd reception. I kept obsessively turning on and off my phone, supposedly to preserve it's life in case of actual emergency which never actually came.
I think I believe that the minute I am unprepared for an emergency it will occur. Though I am struggling to remember the last emergency that befell me. I remember when the deer hit me, not vice versa. But alas most of my calls to the AAA have been because I left my light on in the car in the garage and ran down the battery. Power issues again.
This need for fuel for power is really the impetus for this post.
This morning my dear husband realized that he had run out of gas on the way home last night. Fortunately for him, he was just at the top of the hill from home, and coasted into the garage. This morning he realized he'd forgotten to borrow my car to run out for gas last night. So instead of an early morning walk at the park, I waited here while he did that, and ruminated about his problems with refueling. He runs out of gas all the time. He luckily has a hybrid which can go a short ways on its battery power, like a golf cart, at 15 mph. Maybe that makes him cocky. It is also a game with him to see how many miles he can go on a tank of gas. He has an invisible competition going. Also he's kind of spacey, too much on his mind. And though he complains about this, I've observed that he likes it that way, likes to fill his life with lots of clutter and stuff, like his office, his car. It takes a lot to power him, metaphorically and in actuality.
Obviously I had not spent enough time ruminating before he came back, refueled, and took off, calling me from the car. I had to chide him that I never run out of gas. Which of course, in the competition he has going in his head, requires a verbal assault. I had to hear his heated ten minute rationalization and explanation of this particular gas out, and his final cut: maybe it is just that I have the time to get gas for my car.
I guess it all depends where your particular priorities lie.
A relationship can be just like a car, out of gas, not enough time, and who can say who wins this particularly invisible competition that only two can play.