Gas Station Meditations

I had an amusing thought while filling up my Jeep yesterday. You know those 3-4 minutes when you're standing there, watching the numbers tick up? It's fascinating how we've all developed our own little gas station rituals.

Me? I'm the car organizer (shocking - I know). Those few minutes are my chance to wage war on the mysteriously multiplying receipts in my center console and rescue long-lost lip balms from the depths of my purse. (Why do they always migrate to the very bottom?)

It got me thinking about how we all handle these "forced pause" moments differently. Some use it as their sacred weekly call time with Mom. Others make a beeline for that gas station coffee (you know who you are!). And then there's the window-washing crew, transforming their windshields into spotless masterpieces one squeegee stroke at a time.

These small moments – whether you're pumping gas or waiting for your EV to charge – are like tiny gifts scattered throughout our week. They're these peculiar little pockets of time that we didn't exactly ask for, but somehow end up with anyway.

What if we looked at these moments differently? Not as inconvenient pauses in our day, but as mini-opportunities? Maybe it's a chance for a one-minute meditation, or to finally memorize that poem you've been meaning to learn, or simply to watch the clouds drift by (when was the last time you did that?).

I'm curious – what's your gas station ritual? And more importantly, what could it become?

Here's to finding gold in the ordinary,

Jen

P.S. Next time you're filling up, try something new. Who knows? You might just start your own gas station tradition.