Driving Around

Hello,

Before we left to go to that concert I got directions from Google map as we have not gotten a GPS with the assumption that we would seldom use it. Most of our travel is local. I suppose the Leroy trusted me because he never looked at anything but the long distance part. I did request that he print off a parking lot map at work since it did not do well on our printer that is almost out of colored ink.

I successfully dashed to gather up all of my things and race off to pick up Leroy at the proper time. I even combed my hair.

We stopped for gas on the way without using much time. When we got to the city of our destination life changed. At first we both recognized our surroundings. I was driving and Leroy dutifully got out the directions and guided me through much of them. Then somehow in the dark we did not see a street name that we needed. After that life got harder. Leroy and I really do not fight so often, but getting lost in a city is one of the times when I start to be more intense and agitated. I think I got this from my mother (easy to blame parents for troubles) who always seemed so frightened if we got lost and I was the scared little back seat kid who picked up on that fear. Logically I know it is not that much of a deal, but it is still hard for me to handle it. Leroy almost knows this city so he did not want to ask for directions. We got to our destination, but it was serendipitous.

We did not really know how to get out of town, but another couple there told us their car broke down and they needed a ride to their motel. We offered to give them that ride and they would give us directions to get to the interstate that we could use to flee this place.

All went well when dropping them off and directions did indeed seem clear and easy as the interstate was “close”.  Now Leroy was driving. “Oh, no,” I exclaimed, “The ramp is closed with no further directions.”

Now we really headed off into the unknown. I used to be proud of my sense of direction, but that was before I went to Utah. Maybe it was because I flew there the first time; consequently I was off 180 degrees. Life and directions have not been the same since. Now back to Iowa, or rather Illinois, minutes and miles later as we seemed to be out in the country, I finally convinced Leroy to turn at a stoplight, surely there would be something in that direction and we could ask for some assistance. Only one such place appeared. It was a fast food establishment that was well lit, but almost deserted. There were a couple people inside and I managed to attract their attention so they let me in. Perhaps I looked desperate. After looking at the map they could tell me where I was, but they did not know an easy solution to the closed ramp being unable to give alternate directions other than to go back the way we had come as we were a bit far afield.

Heading back towards the interstate I noticed on the map that there were several close exits. I suggested that we could go the other direction and quickly get off and turn around. Well at the interstate, we could see cars creeping along up there. So that plan was nixed. Instead we decided to work our way back to the college and try again.

We tried that plan at last getting to the college, but we were now on a different street. Our little paper map does not show much beyond the most important thoroughfares. I convinced Leroy to stop to ask for directions. I even agreed to go in and get them. I worry about that because he has a much better memory than I do and I often cannot keep it all straight.

The guy, really he was a kid, in the gas station had not a clue how to help me. Finally, I asked him if he could show me on the map where I was. He managed to do that after some studying. I was talking a little bit about what to do when another man came in. He had on a reflectorized vest so surely he was local and knew the area. He said, “I am going the way you want to go so you can follow me after I get gas.”

Relief, relief, we are saved and we might get home before morning.

This kind man ascertained that I/we would know what to do at a certain point when he needed to go a different direction.

We followed this rescuing man as our savior and got home after midnight.

Blessings in all this: we were safe, there are helpers everywhere, we can speak the language/communicate, the car worked, our brains work, possibilities abound,  and the map light in the car worked very well. Oh, and Leroy are still together and fine with that.

Leroy declared, “We should get a GPS!” We might even remember to take our IPOD that we could also use for such a time. Gadgets, gadgets!

Paula