Could there be a silver lining?

It seems no matter who you bump into they are grumbling about the high gasoline prices and how high they will likely go.
I remember my dad talking about gas that cost 25¢ per gallon.... no one ever believed it would go above $1.00 per gallon. So to see it topping $5.00 per gallon one wonders where it will top out?
I have heard some say $10.00 per gallon is not out of the question. That also begs the question of when will it get just too darned expensive for most people to drive anywhere and what will that mean?
I have been pondering that myself and maybe I am off base or perhaps right on... only time will tell.
But with automobile travel becoming more and more expensive will there be a return to things like passenger rail service. Trains are a much more efficient means of transportation for the masses and likely would be more affordable. I am also wondering if more freight could be hauled to communities via train rather than truck.
As more and more people can not afford to get in their cars and drive away from their community to shop the need for more and more local stores and services may yet again arise.
There was a time where Rainy River was very isolated (before roadways were highly developed) and we had a flourishing local economy filled with just about every store and service imaginable.
Maybe the high fuel prices have a silver lining. Maybe they will help our community become more viable again.
The fuel costs may also force professionals that work here but commute to move to where their job is; here!
All food for thought.
–Until then,
Ken