The price of oil and the subsequent price of gas sure have a lot of people talking, but very few people are doing anything about it beyond talking. The truth is that all of us, each and every one, set those gas prices just by buying the product. If we really don't like gas prices and we really want prices to go down, all we have to do is stop buying the product, but are we ready for that? I don't think so.
At first, it sounds like a crazy idea, but stop to think about it. How many times do we get in our cars only to drive just a short distance for an errand or some other silly reason? It would be a good idea to walk, ride a bike or even run, but we don't do it. It's surprising how little effort it really takes, how much it rewards us and how good it feels, but I don't see it happening, do you? Realistically, I doubt many people will ever jump on that band wagon. We are so ingrained in our old habits centered around the automobile, that few of us will ever give them up even if the price for gas shoots up to $10 a gallon. It's true, and we all know it, but what can we do? How about we just relax. That's part of the beauty of being American. Just as in the past, Americans will, in time, respond to the adversity, and turn the situation around. Just knowing that always gives us hope for the future.
In the past, with low prices for gas, there was little incentive to change. Sure, alternative technologies developed, but they either cost more or were less convenient. Now and in the future, rising prices for petroleum and petroleum based products will provide the incentive to invest in and develop alternatives making them more lucrative and exciting the entrepreneurial spirit. Of course, we will feel the present pain at the pump, but the hope for the future combined with our knowledge of the past will help us through to see the long-term benefits of higher gas prices.
Most alternatives to gas are far less polluting and much better on the environment. In an unexpected way, high prices will provide the incentive to move away from gasoline powered vehicles and will move us all toward a cleaner, safer and less-polluted world. Something we had difficulty with in the past. Additionally, if we get to the point where we do not need Middle East oil at all, there will be no need for us to spend our money, our lives, and our future in wars over there and we can, in turn, spend the money right here to help people right here like our neighbors and fellow Americans.
The point of all this is to not despair about the future too much due to the price of oil and gasoline. This is America and we will prevail. What looks like a bleak future now will actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Instead of dragging us all down, the high price of gas will only ignite the American entrepreneurial spirit, and, again, we will show how Americans constantly change the world for the better.