In New England, people think even a 30-minute drive is long.

In the Midwest, people don’t think twice about a two-hour drive. In Minnesota, people hit the lake, shoot up to the North Woods, go see in-laws, go to the Cities, go to Madison, Des Moines, Chicago, Fargo. We drive all over.

America is paying the price for marrying so much of the economy to gasoline and diesel. Fewer trains and more highways served us well for decades, but no longer.

And the average Americans impact the greatest by high prices are rural Americans. The Heartland has been hit harder than the coasts.

In urban areas, people have alternate ways to get around than the automobile. They can take a bus or a train. Quite often, much of what people need is within walking distance.

In rural America, particularly smaller towns such as Clarks Grove or Glenville, people have no choice but to drive to town to get the things they need.

Live in St. Paul and want to see a movie? Take the bus. Maybe walk.

Live in Northwood, Iowa? You have to drive to Mason City or Albert Lea.

But the real impact is that people in smaller towns tend to drive farther to work. Some might say they should move, but quite often the case is where one spouse works in one city and another spouse works in another. The town they live in might be the best midpoint, or the one they have the most connections to.

So when you read and hear news about the gas prices, remember where the real burden is. It’s out in the sticks, where people have to spend more of their income on gasoline.