A Long Time Ago

....In a Galaxay, far, far away... Gas prices were 25 cents a gallon. That's what we paid for gas back in the early 60s down at Egolf's gas station (it was a Gulf Gas Station) on the corner of Second Avenue and The Pike. In fact, every gas station in south Jersey priced gas the same -- no price wars back then.

I was talking with my granddaughter Rose today telling her that I remember when gas was only 25 cents a gallon, and I remember when it shot up from about 30 cents a gallon to 75 cents a gallon -- Thank you Jimmy Carter -- and we were all in shell shock because it happened overnight.

I wish I could remember why it happened, but I remember how broke we all felt when gas was priced that high. Of course, a good income was $12,000 a year back then, also. If you made that much, you could buy a home, furnish it, and live comfortably, including owning a car, having three children, and paying all the necessary bills that went along with those responsibilities.

That's $1,000 per month. Why now we're paying almost half that much per month just for medicines to keep us alive, and the other half for gasoline. So while our income has crept up, we are NOT making seven times what we were making back when gas was 75 cents a gallon. We are also not paying much more for food than we always have $100 a week since the children became teenagers. Now, though, there are only two of us, so that $100 a week isn't really a bargain, is it?

Well, I think it is. I know food has gone up, and produce goes up and comes down, then it goes up again -- that is depending on winter freezes, summer droughts, etc. Beef and chicken, though, that's another story. Since when did chicken become more expensive that steak? I just noticed that two breasts, bone in, is around $4, and I can get a nice round steak for under $4.

The thing is, I prefer chicken to beef. Pork and veal and lamb are not an option -- while we can get pork, it is awful. Veal and lamb aren't even available out here. So, we're basically stuck with hot dogs, brats, chicken, or beef.

Long way to go from "A Long Time Ago" , isn't it?