Gas Prices

I was pleased earlier this week when I noticed that gas prices had gone down. I rejoice when it dips to $1.50 and remember the good ‘ole days of low gas prices. Way back, in the olden days of the sixties, gas was cheap. Teenagers cruised around town without a care in the world. The only worries we had was whether or not we could find anyone we knew, or wanted to know, cruising around town. Those were the days, when we would literally combine our pennies and head to the gas pumps. Many times we would pump in twelve or thirteen cents. Really? Yes, really! Believe it or not, this provided a lot of cruising time. Pennies and nickles meant something then. Finding loose change meant gas… and gas meant cruising! If we couldn’t find change, we would clip food coupons and cash them in to buy our gas (we had a friendly grocer). We would take the family car “as is.” This meant, if the tank was full… great, if not… you put it in. Unlike today, when pennies and nickles are treated like disowned step-children, and parents are expected to keep the wheels rolling. It’s no wonder teens no longer cruise. Gas prices are just too high to burn fuel by aimlessly wondering around looking for other teens.

Oh, but what fun they are missing! Crowding into the car (no license restrictions or seat belts) to cruise. You would be amazed at how many kids would fit into one car, or how many phone numbers could be exchanged. And there were always those favorite places. Remember The Spot, Carson Newman Campus, Cherokee Dam, The Hanging Tree (oh… that one was for “parking” in two’s), The Piazza Palace in Knoxville, Shoney’s, The Silver Spur, and The Blue Circle in Morristown (among many more)? Anywhere cars parked for food service, you would find cruising teens. Cruising was today’s texting: a social network for teenagers.

So, I guess the moral to this memory is: gas is high, so no cruising. Or, let your teenagers text, or you will be paying for the gas!