I told myself last night that I should fill up the gas tank before setting out this morning. The drive up the mountain to the lake burns a bit of fuel and the tank was nearly empty when we got back from dinner. But I was too foggy headed in the morning and it completely slipped my mind … until we were on our way home and I happened to notice the fuel gauge. So we drove out on the highway and headed to the nearest gas station. Right as we got on the main road, the car suddenly seemed unable to accelerate. Clearly we had much less in the tank than I had suspected. There was a very slight down grade from where we were to the station, so slight you’d barely notice on a bicycle, but it was enough to glide down in neutral. When we got to the station there was just enough gas left to get us off the highway, and then it sputtered out. I pushed the car the last twenty feet to the pump.
Sometimes I worry that luck is rationed out like water during a draught and that a serendipitous event like this will use up all my fortune till the next round. I’m not superstitious, but its hard not to feel like you’ve used up more of your share of luck when something like this happens. Then again, yesterday we found that someone had bashed into our car in the parking lot without leaving a note, making it difficult to open the passenger side door. So maybe we’re even for now …
{luck}
