I walked to the gas station down the street from my house—a bit of an odd place to practice this exercise, but it’s my only option besides the restaurant, and they’re closed on Mondays. The walk here took about 20 minutes, and it was peaceful. I counted 4 cars that passed me which seemed like a lot for 4pm on a Monday in a tiny town. The gas station has been pretty empty so far but I’m just now settling in. It’s— as I’m writing this a tow truck just crashed into the bridge on the overpass, which is quite ironic. I heard a loud boom and looked up and now it’s suddenly busy. Three vehicles have just pulled up, all white, and there’s a lot going on now. It’s crazy how fast things change. I don’t think the crash is too serious; the driver seems fine and probably just got distracted and hit the guard rail. The people who pulled up are all at the pumps. This gas station/truck stop is off Route 66, so it’s busy with people coming and going. Coming and going.
There is a lot of movement here. It’s hard to capture the scenery, but it’s a 76 station. I don’t remember it always being a 76. There are signs and advertisements everywhere—junk food, five-dollar meals, buy-one-get-one-free, alcohol and nicotine product promotions. They jump out at you with the bold and bright lettering. Nothing to promote health. There are fuel pumps, diesel pumps, and an EV charging station. They also sell propane, have an ice machine, and I can hear a train passing by right now. We are very close to the tracks. I just noticed a 7-Eleven logo and now I’m confused; the store is a 7-Eleven, while the gas station is a 76? I wonder if it’s always been like that. Most of the people here are filling up their cars and trucks with fuel. I saw a dad and his daughter go in and come out with ice cream, and an elderly couple filling up on propane. There’s also a gentleman walking around who I assume is a trucker stretching his legs. The tow truck has just arrived to help the one that crashed. There are about 10 cars here now, some parked, some getting gas and another one just pulled up. Only one person got out, while the passenger stayed in the vehicle. The man from earlier who I assumed was a truck driver just walked by to his van and for some reason, that made me uncomfortable… but right after that thought, a CHP vehicle drove by. The CHP office is also off this exit, so that’s not uncommon. If I stop to listen and close my eyes I can hear the AC unit,I can surprisingly still hear birds and cars passing on the freeway, the whooshing noise of the tow truck bed and beeps as it backs up, and even a helicopter flying overhead. My timer just went off which means it’s been an hour. I still have a 20 minute walk back home, but I am very thankful for this exercise. I love controlled chaos and people watching.
You are Exactly Where You Need To Be 