Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Whenever Earl and I drive on highways, we note that most cars have one — at the most, two — passengers including the driver. I can’t help but think that some of those single drivers are going to the same place. So maybe they will consider car pooling in the future as gasoline inches between $4 and $5 a gallon. Given the price at the pump these days, I’m wondering if car pooling might come into its own.

For me, “car pooling” has become a synonym for anything that reduces one’s dependency on the rising costs of living. It can be about gasoline, but it can also be about food or vacations or heating or air conditioning. Basically, it’s about stretching one’s dollars.

I’m trying to do this conscientiously. I don’t visit Starbucks as regularly as I once did, because the price of a latte is now going into my gas tank. I walk on the road I live on three days a week instead of going to the health club and walking on the track. This saves me both gas and time.

I won’t pay more than $4 a gallon for gas. If forced to, then I fill my tank half-full and wait until there’s a price war to fill up. I also plan to learn what gas stations do not purchase their oil from Saudi Arabia and patronize them. I suspect the gas per gallon will be more expensive, but I’m willing to pay it to reduce our country’s dependency on Middle Eastern oil.

I’m buying at local farm stands now that the summer crops are coming in. I may not pay a great deal less than at the local supermarket, but I’m supporting local farmers, eliminating middlemen, and getting my produce fresher. Soon I’ll be eating corn on the cob the morning it was picked. What could be better?

In all, these are simple things to cherish: the final fresh strawberries and asparagus of June, the first sweet cherries of July, the anticipation of peaches and apples in weeks to come. Zucchini, tomato, squash — coming and going. And then pumpkins that herald the season’s autumnal change.

I’ll be there. And if anyone wants to carpool to these local farm stand events, just email me at anne@annebrandt.com. I’d gladly be the chauffeur.