I’ve had great fun with this location over the years. I’ve probably photographed this old gas station 4 or 5 times in the last decade. It fascinates me because I see an abandoned gas station trapped in an eddy of time created by the curve in the road.
 

When you roll past it at the speed limit, it might register in your conscious mind for a second or t Bend in the Road Gas Station, Chappell Hill Texas wo. Mostly, if you are paying any attention at all, you notice yourself looking away or maybe fiddling with the sound system controls. Almost anything, it seems, to keep it from imprinting on your mind. For its part, indifferent to you, it continues the work of slowly falling back into the void from which it sprang. Maybe, just by chance, you stop in a wide spot by the side of the road to change drivers or stretch your legs and it just so happens you are where the old driveway used to be. If you are not in too big of a hurry, you might turn and study it and if your imagination is awake you might get a glimpse of the way it used to be. You might hear the faint “Ding” as a vehicle slowly rolls across the rubber bell hose. You might imagine the cheerful greeting, “What’ll it be?” as the attendant hurries out of the service bay. You could even detect the pungent smell of gasoline and motor oil. You spend a couple of minutes looking and then you are away and the memory fades until it is gone forever just as this old gas station will soon be gone forever too.
 

These southeast Texas gas stations were once firmly entrenched in rural communities as small hubs of bustling activity.  Everyone in the area knew the attendants, the mechanics and the owners. Neighbors would stop by for a visit and get their vehicles serviced while they talked. Folks met, by chance or plan, had conversations and were then on their way. The conversations did not amount to much or so it seemed.  They talked about weather, remarking on the heat of the day or the cold of the night. They talked about family. Sometimes, they discussed the failing health of a friend or relative and support was offered before moving on. They talked about things that did not matter much in the big scheme of things but they talked about things that build a community. 

This old abandoned gas station is not long for this world and this photograph might be the last record of its existence. If you look closely, I believe you too will see the dignity and strength and courage it exudes as it fades away. While making this photograph, I studied the station from every angle. Never once did I imagine I detected regret or frustration brought on by its current state of disrepair.  What I did see was pride for the service it provided, dignity in the years accumulated and love for the community that brought it into being.