Perspective
Many of us are reeling from the rapidly rising gas prices, and some of us are already altering our behavior to try and recover the lost discretionary funds that are now going to fuel purchases. Just recently, someone commented to me that we shouldn’t be too concerned about gas prices because we’re still way below what they pay in Europe – which was a bit surprising – because we’re still paying significantly higher than a year ago, and that’s hitting all of us hard in the pocketbook.
I must admit though that I am grateful that we’re not paying the same prices they are paying in Europe for our gas in Colorado, and if we were, I guarantee you my behavior would change substantially!  Although the price of gas in Colorado may not be as high as the price of gas in Europe, let’s put things in perspective for just a moment:
(1) there are parts of this great country where the price of gas is equivalent to Europe – in some of the villages of Alaska, the gas is already over $9 per gallon and projected to go substantially higher in the coming months
(2) there are parts of this great country where gas isn’t easily accessible – a gentleman I am staying with today had to boat over 80 miles each direction to get 55 gallon drums of fuel to run his boat, four wheelers and truck
(3) there are parts of this great country where the resources are plentiful, the respect for the land and for the wildlife on the land is enormous, and the costs for fuel are the highest, and yet we create enormous hurdles for those resources to be leveraged to ease the rapidly increasing cost of living in these environments
As I sit here North of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, I’m gaining perspective. I’m sensing that great balance can be achieved between those who so passionately protect the wildlife and the environment and those who so desperately need more affordable fuel and a reduced cost of living today. I’m sensing that the extreme positions we all may be taking one way or the other could be brought closer together if everyone in this country had the change to visit the parts of America where gas is today $9.57 per gallon. And I’m sensing that the steps we take today won’t slow down the escalating prices till years into the future and by the time any new development does hit the market our behaviors as a country will have changed dramatically to offset the incredibly high per gallon cost of fuel…but those steps will eventually reduce our dependency on foreign oil supplies and that fact alone seems well worth partnering together (even if both views are extremist) to solve this problem for our nation and for our friends and family whever they may be.
Thanks for letting me vent for just a little bit…I need this pespective.
I certainly can’t whine anymore when I pump and pay $4.24 a gallon…I need to sit back and remember that in these villages that I am visiting they are paying more than twice that just to have fuel to live and provide for their families. That’s perpsective.