The five o five : Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Cruise Control

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Watching: Why Are Gas Prices So High</sub>

Let me first start off by apologizing for being so rude. We have been meeting like this almost everyday for the past two weeks and I don't believe that I've told you a thing about myself. So allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Tigga76 [Ziggs Profile]. I'm a poet, writer, artist, graphic designer, public speaker, father, son, brother, man. I am in a supportive relationship and have custody of my eight year old daughter who I take care of everyday. I work for a teen theater drug prevention program [SETT] and I design web sites and fliers on the side [Sublime Designs]. I also teach a fitness class [Step FX] and I plan on going back to school to receive my personal trainer degree. Sounds like a lot huh? Well sometimes it is but then other times it pays off. So with all this stuff going on it made me wonder what is my motivation? What pushes me to do so much expecting so little in return? What drives anyone to want to be successful? Money, fame, recognition, acceptance? Let's talk about that shall we?

F U E L
"
What pushes me to do so much expecting so little in return? What drives anyone to want to be successful? Money, fame, recognition, acceptance?
"

Like I mentioned above, I work for a teen theater drug prevention group [SETT] (which happens to be the easiest way to break it down because it gets a bit complicated) that is my main 9 to 5 hustle. I normally get there at 8am (before anyone else shows up at our regular 9am time) and take care of all of my personal responsibilities (checking my email, calling the bank, paying my bills online, etc, etc) before I have to tackle the challenging tasks of the regular work day (writing grants, revising newsletters, making phone calls, etc, etc). I like having a head start. I like being able to get things out of the way before anyone else arrives. It makes me feel like I'm in the lead. If the work day were a race then I'm already a quarter mile closer to the finish line then all the rest. Is it considered cheating? I don't think so. I think its called drive.

So yesterday, after doing my "first one there" routine, we eventually went out to fill up for gas (Oh. I forgot to tell you that I also drive a 15 passenger van to transport the teens home every evening) I noticed something that wasn't peculiar but it was interesting. The program normally covers the cost of the gas during the week and with sort of arrangement you rarely stop to think how much the gas actually costs. So with that sudden realization I looked up at the gas station marquee and read $3.19. Three nineteen!? I think I did several double and triple takes looking up at the sign trying to figure out was I delusional or is this really happening. For those of you in places where it is much higher, I apologize for being such a baby about this it just shocked me. But the real shocker wasn't the price that people were willing to pay for gas but how many people were actually filling up at the same time I was. I would assume that none of them would top my $90.73 grand total for my 15 passenger behemoth but I know whatever they spent was a pretty penny compared to four years ago [USA Today]. (Now just hang in there I'm getting to the point soon. If you like you can repeatedly squeal, "Are we there yet," until the end of this post. I don't have to worry about you because you're more than likely going to annoy someone other than me anyway).

F U E L
"
It looks like human fuel is a lot cheaper than gas because it can be made out of anything. In school we have grades and report cards and I would assume then that making the honor roll would be the equivalent of NoS. In adult life we have paychecks. In relationships we have love. In parenting we have, "Well adjusted, productive children". At our jobs we have promotions. And so on and so on.
"

I began to think. Gas is fuel. It is an essential component to a cars' system of gears and motor to produce mobility and kinetic force thus propelling a vehicle forward (or backwards). Without it you go nowhere. So even if the price of gas went all the way up to (god forbid) $20 a gallon, those motivated enough to be mobile would line up at the gas station pumps ready to burn. YEP, all three of us. So there has to be a connection. How does gas at a service station (which ironically don't serve anymore) relate to this human term known as "drive"?

Let's look at the similarities. A car needs fuel, and in this case its called gas. Humans need fuel. But what is human fuel called. Motivation? Inspiration? Dedication? Constipation? What makes us go? (pardon the pun?). Growing up I was motivated to things "fueled" by the simple fact that I had never done it before. As a teen I would reach for accomplishments "fueled" with the idea that people thought I couldn't or wouldn't do it. As an adult I live each day "fueled" with the thought that I want my family to live a comfortable life. It looks like human fuel is a lot cheaper than gas because it can be made out of anything. In school we have grades and report cards and I would assume then that making the honor roll would be the equivalent of NoS (Nitros Oxide) [example]. In adult life we have paychecks. In relationships we have love [see, "Waiting to Exhale"]. In parenting we have, "Well adjusted, productive children". At our jobs we have promotions. And so on and so on. So if human fuel is so easy to attain then why are there some people who go places and others that sit still? Why is the four lane highway of success so barren and wide? Where are all the other vehicles? Did the price for human fuel suddenly top $3.19? Am I the only one driving here? People tell me I should only worry about myself but I want to bring some friends along (I think I have enough room. I do drive a 15 passenger.) Maybe I'll look deeper into this another time, but seriously think about it. What is your fuel? What drives you? Where are you going? And will you make it without running out of gas?

Well....We're here now (at the end). I hope you enjoyed the trip. Have a nice day, and you can stop saying ,"Are we there yet," now. Until next time. Get out and don't slam my door. See you later.

*Screeching off----------
*Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, vrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, _{vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmm}

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