Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Can you believe the price of Gas?

 The cost of everything has gone up. In some places in the country, a gallon of gas is $8.00. In my area, it’s about $4.59 a gallon. Whether it is $8.00 or $4.59, that’s pretty high.

 It’s not just gasoline; everything else has gone up, including bread, meat, vegetables, and toilet paper. Big Macs and Whopper are still fast food, but the prices for a Mac and fries can put a dent in your wallet.

 When I was a child, I worked at my father’s gas station pumping gas. I was excited to watch the numbers tick off as I squeezed the nozzle. If the customer ordered five gallons of gas and handed me a dollar bill, I had to run inside to get change. Gasoline was only 16 cents a gallon then. I gave the customer .20 cents change. That was 1959.

  In 1980, the unbelievable happened, gas prices around the country hit $1.00. It made national news. It was unbelievable. 

  The old gas pumps had to be recalibrated. Many could not display double-digit numbers for gas purchases; after all, 20 gallons of gas only cost $3.20. 

 We thought, “What is the world coming to?” Who can pay $1.00 a gallon? 

 Nothing stopped the increase. President Nixon even ordered the speed limit across the nation reduced to 55 miles an hour. That was 1974, but the price