R and J in the USA

En route from point to point on Thanksgiving, Julie stopped for gas with a quarter of a tank left. She had just enough gas to get where she was headed, but, as she approached an exit with a gas station right off the road she found herself wondering if maybe she should play it safe. Boy was she glad she did.

One of Julie’s favorite things about Oregon is, there is full service gas everywhere. In most places you are not even allowed to pump your own gas – and even when there is a self-serve option, there is usually a full-serve one right next door. Julie does not enjoy pumping gas. She will do anything to get out of it. She will drive extra miles to a full-service gas station if needed. There is no real explanation for it other than pure laziness. Oregon enables this laziness and Julie is deeply appreciative. 

Julie pulled into the gas station located right near Cape Joy Road and heard jovial sounds of celebration at a car at the pump behind her. She could hear holiday wishes and warmth being exchanged. One doesn’t usually think of the gas station as the go to source for good cheer and merriment, but that road was aptly named – it was Cape Joy, indeed. 

She was then approached by the most good-natured and jovial gas station attendant she had ever encountered. If Santa had a younger, skinnier brother that lived in the Oregon hillside and was in charge of Thanksgiving, that is who was there to help Julie refill.

It turns out the incident of joyfulness that Julie overheard was one of his regular customers delivering him a pumpkin pie for the holiday.

”I love pumpkin pie!” He said with the look of an enchanted 5-yea–old coming over his grizzled, bearded face, “It’s my favorite!”

Julie was grinning ear to ear. “That’s great! What a nice gift! All I have for you is my credit card.”

The man smiled and accepted the gift wholeheartedly with that regular gas station attendant look of inquiry that requires no words.

”Fill her up, unleaded please.” Julie responded to his wordless question and the attendant (whose name Julie wishes she had thought to ask for but, so delighted and distracted by the whole scene, had forgotten) promptly and enthusiastically obliged. He didn’t just stick in the pump and go, he stayed and was ready for a Thanksgiving chat.

”That’s great of you to work on Thanksgiving.” Julie commented.

”I’m here to make sure people have enough gas to get where they are going for the holidays. Then I’ll go home for a big dinner.” he said with all the sincerity in the world.

One of Julie’s favorite things is when there are people in the world doing jobs that wouldn’t necessarily get placed in the glamor and excitement category, but, nevertheless, they conduct themselves with a full sense of purpose and connection to the real value they are contributing and the meaning that is there for them to take from their role – and they bring that sense of meaning and purpose to the way they do it – elevating everyone’s life and day as a result. Here was one such man. He could easily have been complaining about having to work on the holiday, but just the opposite. This was a man who was reaping the rewards of being of service and glowing with that good spirit, and passing it on to each person who came to fill up. 

”Wow, that’s so fantastic. And, thank you!” Julie said.

He then went on to describe the full house he’d be coming home to, with relatives from all around. 

“We have the biggest house of anyone in our family, so we love to get them all to come over and share in the festivities together.” He carried on.

Julie learned about the truck he drives and the two gas tanks in it that have to be filled when he’s driving it – a fact she never knew about trucks.

When another customer came, he paused the conversation with his hand to his heart and a sincere apology for needing to leave to tend to another car showing an authentic investment in a conversation that he didn’t ever have to engage to begin with. As soon as he left, Julie heard the air fill with the sounds of warm and jovial greetings and exchanges beginning all over.

Julie had already been grateful for a lot of things that day. She had no regrets about her choice to spend Thanksgiving technically “alone” and found herself grateful for the chance to get a glimpse into somebody else’s festivities. It was the perfect kind of Thanksgiving experience to have on this trip that was all about stepping out of our own little corner of the country to get a chance to see it through the eyes of different people all over. Mission accomplished on this Thanksgiving Day.

Julie had stopped to get gas, but she left with so much more. She pulled out of the station with her gas tank and her  “holiday spirit and good cheer” tank both filled to the brim.