Miranda Lambert Can Keep You From Running on Empty

Miranda Lambert's song "Automatic" is my soundtrack for today. Yes it just won Song of the Year at the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, but that's not why it is today's sound track. Why then, you ask? Because I almost did something today that I have never done before in my life. I almost ran out of gas in my car while I was driving. I got all the way home and went to shut off my car and just happen to look down at the gas gauge and saw the "empty" light was on. Here is the blonde moment, I suddenly realize I had noticed it yesterday and forgot.

How many miles had I gone? Was it yesterday or today that I noticed? Would I have enough gas to get to a gas station? So after banging my head on the steering wheel I decided to head straight to the closest gas station and crossed my fingers I make it.

As I am driving doing the "don't press to hard on the gas, coast down the hills to save gas" maneuver, I start thinking how sad it is that things come and go from my mind, regularly. I drove past 10 gas station today and not once did I remembered I needed gas or noticed the light.

Then I started blaming all the technology we have today. After all my phone has reminders and they make noise and they can be automatically reset if you need to be reminded again. Why can't my cars gas gauge do that? Then I thought there is probably a car that does that but I don't own that car. Still frustrated I think about the fact that my car tells me over and over when my seat belt isn't on. It also won't let me leave the lights on or the keys in the ignition. Ugh! it was so frustrating thinking about this until it dawned on me. This is my bad habit which I didn't use to have, I learn to drive when "things weren't so automatic".

I learned to drive in 1979. I learned on a standard shift car with and 8 track player and an FM radio. Big stuff back then. And oh yeah, you had to check the dip stick for oil, the radiator for coolant and always look at the gas gauge. I obviously know better but I have become to reliant on the bells and whistles.

So I made it to the Stewart's Shop in Port Ewen. Filled up the tank with regular and I rolled the windows down and thought about things I liked and did when things weren't so "Automatic". I need to go old school more often, It feels good.

Miranda Lambert's Automatic a great reminder to slow down and think for yourself!