A Fantastical Mind

Believe it or not, before today I had never ever put fuel in a vehicle. I had led a sheltered life surrounded by caring men who always felt the need to take care of my car woes for me. While I take charge of most other aspects of my life, my general ignorance in the auto department left me willing to accept their assistance. I was actually excited when this morning I realized my beloved Dynasty was running low and I needed to fuel up. Under the supervision of my boyfriend, I was at the pump of a local Shell station. (He was there for emotional support; although, he did “forget” the camera to preserve this historic moment.) Gas prices, a topic of many tears and bitter wallets, had gone up recently around here, but comparatively, this Shell was lower-priced than their competitors (a whopping $1.72).

The experience was new and exciting, and rather simple. A swipe of a card, a flip of the gas holster, and a pinch of a trigger was all it took to make my car happy. The smells involved were horrible and, in hindsight, I probably should have washed my windshield while I waited (although a clean windshield would have looked awkward when the rest of my car is in desperate need of a bath… you take a Dynasty halfway across the country and see how clean it stays). There were no blunders in the whole experience, which made me happy. I knew which side my gas tank was on. The pump was fully functional. My card was accepted (as it should have been). Life was pretty sweet. The whole experience set me back around $20. Now I just need to worry about finding a touchless car wash…