Decent is as Decent Does

​Decent is as Decent does. I want to share a short story about my dad and how he handled a legitimate supply shortage in the 1970s that seems very relevant today. He owned gas stations for most of his adult life following WWII. In the 70s, his gas station was a Union 76 on the corner of Yorba Linda Blvd. and Rose Dr. in Placentia. It was in the newspaper for the long lines in 1973 and 1979 oil shortages. During this time, dealers received gas shipments based on their volume history. My dad was a high volume seller, so he was getting deliveries as frequently as any station in Orange County.
 
In 1979, I went by the station a few times on my way back from college to get gas – if it was available. He was getting shipments almost every day that would sell out within hours. One day I asked my dad if he was at the maximum price allowed under the imposed price controls. He said that he wasn’t and, without meaning to, taught me a lesson I have carried all my life. He said the shortage will be over some day, and when it was, he wanted to know that he had been decent to people.
 
Heraclitus wrote, “The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become.” I had always respected my dad for the many choices he made throughout his life. I think this day’s example has had such staying power with me because it wasn’t just doing what was right when no one was looking but doing what was right when there was a tangible benefit to do otherwise.
 
I am so glad to know that I have friends who continue to practice community, sharing and rational purchasing during the crisis we are in today. The unknown is as frustrating as it is frightening without piling unfounded fears onto the heap. There were real shortages of gasoline in 1973 and 1979. One brought on by supply manipulation and the other by the overthrow of Iran’s government. I have clean water in our taps and there is still an unbroken supply chain for food. I have the choice to be sensible and trust in myself and community. As difficult as it can be, I must see that I will be the same person on the other side of this crisis that I believed I was before it began. Peace.