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Elgin This Month

Carroll Publishing Inc., the publishers of The St. Thomas/ Elgin Weekly News, is proud to publish Elgin This Month, a monthly magazine incorporating the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce’s Business Beat.

Along with the Business Beat section from the Chamber of Commerce, Elgin This Month includes sections on Healthy Living, Dining & Entertainment and Homestyle.

Elgin This Month is mailed to businesses in Elgin County as well as selected homes by Third Class Unaddressed Admail. Also look for Elgin This Month at many public distribution outlets throughout Elgin County.

The deadline for display ads is mid-month for the first of the following month's publication.

Life's a gas

July, 2006

I don’t know about you, but the Buddha and I are never totally compatible.
The path to enlightenment involves letting go of the emotions, stifling the greedy impulse, living simply and so on. We know that. Can we do it?
Case in point? Gasoline.
On Friday morning, June 23, the Sunoco in St. Thomas had gasoline for 89.9 cents. I took an early lunch. As I approached the station, I thought, “If Sunoco has 89.9, Shell must have something close. And Shell has air miles.”
Besides, the Sunoco was a melee of vehicles.
I burned up some of my potential savings driving to the Shell. The posted price was 101.9. Some people were filling up. “Poor fools,” I thought. “A scant few kilometers away lies a golden pool of savings.”
I used more potential savings driving back . . . to a small nightmare.
Vehicles were coming from every direction, circling the pumps like sea gulls after white bread. One pump was already dry, leading to frustration.
At last, I was there.
Only to realize my gas tank was on the other side.
I circled again, lining up behind a dear, dear senior citizen in a white Honda.
One of those old-style, purple-brown Dodge Caravans reversed to the pump in front of the Honda. The driver realized it was empty and backed up further, directly in front of the senior citizen. When Honda left, Mr. Caravan had the pump in front of me.
I practised my imported Buddhism. Line-ups do not matter. Release the outcome. Maybe Mr. Caravan is in a desperate hurry so he can drive a starving child to a food bank.
Finally, the Caravan’s thirst was slated. I moved into position.
A polite attendant asked how I was doing and wondered whether I minded waiting a few minutes. He was changing the price to 101.9.
Would I like a fill-up?
Twenty dollars, I said. Twenty should be good for now.