What It Takes to Awaken a Generation

Wake up, world! There is a gasoline shortage

A man pulled his car up to a gas station.

"Whew! I did it," he said. "I wondered for a moment, if I was going to be able to do that!"

He had run out of gasoline, a few miles back and decided that he had enough strength to push the car to the next gas station. Since he was aware that part of the road was downhill, he knew that was not going to be much of a problem. He got behind the car and began to push it. Once he managed to get it moving on the gentle slope, he knew that all he needed to do was to steer it in the right direction, so he hopped back into his car. He managed to cover a lot of downhill miles that way, but when the car reached the bottom of the hill, it stopped. He jumped out.

"I guess I will have to find another plan of action," he decided. He tried to push it again, but at best, it only moved a foot or two. "This is exhausting," he said. "I give up!"

Suddenly, he had an idea. He opened his trunk and began searching through it and found a piece of rope. He made it into a harness and started to pull the car.

"This is heavy work," he decided, "But it works."

Bit by bit, he managed to tow it to the gas station. The only thing that he did not know was that the gas station had closed that week, because there had not been a gasoline delivery.

"There's another gas station about two miles down the road," the sleepy attendant told him. "They might still have some gas."

So, the man put his makeshift harness back on and began pulling his car down the road.

"Why don't you lighten your load?" the gas station attendant called out to him, but he did not hear.

"That silly old guy," said the attendant. "He could have lightened his load by emptying out his trunk.

A few hours later, the man pulled his car into the second gas station. Most of the way had been a straight, flat road, so he was able to move the car along fairly quickly, just by pulling it along. He was getting really tired though.

"You know that big tandem truck that passed by here a couple of hours ago," said this gas station attendant. "He just drained out our last fifty gallons, so we don't have any gasoline here, either. I can give you a drink of water though," he told the man. "It will cost you ten dollars."

"Ten dollars," said the man. "Ten dollars is all I have for gasoline! That is highway robbery!" He became upset.

"Well, water is as scarce here as gasoline," replied the gas station attendant.

"I need some water," decided the man and gave the attendant his last ten dollars. "I think that I will spend the night here."

"Not so fast. We don't allow transients," said the gas station attendant. "Well, maybe if you give me something for it, I can let you stay this one time."

"I just gave you my last ten dollars," replied the man, getting angrier. "I'll tell you what! I will give you my spare tire."

So, the man stayed the night and paid for it with his spare tire.

"You have to get that car out of here," the attendant insisted, early the next morning. "Right now."

"But I need some breakfast," said the man. "I am hungry."

"You have to pay for it," replied the attendant. "Give me your jack and I will give you breakfast."

A little while later, the man towed his car down the road, again. He found a hill or two with downward slopes and managed to get a few more miles down the road. He had some uphill slopes here, too. Those were tough going.

Several children biked on by.

"You need to lighten your load," one of them called out to the man, but he did not hear.

Finally, discouraged and very angry, the man decided to ditch the car.

"I have to lighten my load," he decided and started walking. "Those hills are too much for me," he said. 

"Besides which I really don't need that car, if I have to push and pull it everywhere I go. Maybe they will have a can of gasoline at the next gas station. Then, I can come back for you," he said to his old car sadly. He really did not want to leave it there.

"No gasoline here either," the next gas station attendant said. "Somebody stole our last gas can, anyhow."

"I am hungry," said the man. "And thirsty."

"Well, I will feed you if you give me your leather boots," the attendant said. The man did not bother to argue and parted with his leather boots. At the next gas station, he gave the attendant his jacket. His feet were sore now and he knew that he was going to be cold.

"I give up! What on earth did I ever get myself into by buying that car?" he asked himself finally, sitting down on the side of the road. "I should have kept my old horse. It did not need gasoline. I wonder what it takes to wake a generation?"