Stephanie Martin-Smith
Soul Purpose 

I really had to keep a close eye on the road while driving recently with all the double takes on the price of gas! It dropped lower and lower and lower…don’t get me wrong I'm lovin’ it but who would have guessed it?

I know that stocks continue to plummet and most people have just decided to close their eyes. We seem to have entered unchartered territory.

The major North American auto companies are ready to fold. OK, Al Gore did predict that in his movie An Inconvenient Truth, where he explained that other countries had a plan for the energy crisis. Toyota had a five-year plan to bring in hybrids, but no, the North American companies just kept those big honking gas guzzlers flying off the line.

I mean, at least try to give them better gas mileage so the people who really need to drive one can afford it. A great point was made when the automotive executives were asked why they flew into Washington in their private jets if they are really having this many problems.

I was watching Michael Moore on Larry King the other night. Moore is just one of those guys that speaks the truth and I’m sure he’s a thorn in corporate America’s side. He thinks that if a bailout takes place, the government should be making some serious stipulations to go along with the bailout – like vehicles are of good quality and are fuel efficient, even running on alternative sources of fuel. The issue is close to his heart as his father worked in the auto industry for three decades in Flint, Michigan.

Michael Moore’s documentary style-films include Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, Stupid White Men , Slacker Uprising and Dude, Where’s My Country? From what I’ve seen they are pretty good and informative movies, but he doesn’t pull any punches, that’s for sure!

It seems odd that we Canadians spend so much time watching the U.S. But as I’ve said before they are like a Siamese twin, we are attached and as much as we are separate, much of U.S. business affects us, especially when we want to go on a vacation with the U.S. dollar, now that it has become expensive again. It went up about as fast as the gas prices went down, but hey it’s great for our economy, we can be competitive again in our exports.

On the home front, the malls seem to be busy and according to Kim, who I ran into at the bank, so is the car shop. Apparently when your windshield wipers don’t work, or your tires don’t help you stop, you need a car repair shop fast!

The kids seem to be excited about snow. I wondered if it would ever stop, it seems a tad early for digging ourselves out. But it could be worse – we could live in Arcona, which was the heaviest hit in Middlesex County.

I think we Huron-Perth people are more than happy to share our snow with our neighboring county, we had it long enough. Your turn!