How I got very, very lost trying to tick things off my life list

I’ve mentioned before that I am Not Good with maps.

That’s an understatement – I am TERRIBLE. I literally have to highlight the way in the map book and turn it every which way to get to a destination.

(no, I don’t own a GPS and I can’t imagine why I’d want to pay at least 15 times the price of a map book, even with my atrocious map-reading skills, or lack thereof)

So Jeanette (photographer) emailed a Google map to us and I clicked in to ask Google for directions.

Big mistake!

When I read through the directions, they didn’t make sense to me intuitively but it’s Google, after all :)

I set off and at the point where Google stuffed up (Joyce street off Malibongwe), I pulled into a garage to ask directions.

The guy seemed very certain and so I set off following his directions.

Two traffic lights and I’d see the road I was looking for.

He lied.

I drove past six traffic lights and then pulled over to phone Jeanette whose phone was on voicemail.

I retraced my steps and found another garage where I asked another man who was not very helpful.

At that point I got into my car and had a conversation/ argument with myself.

I was so lost, couldn’t find out where I was on the map, nor where I had to go and everything inside of me and I mean everything (except for 10% who has “attend a photography workshop” on my 36 things list) was screaming to just go home.

I didn't care about losing the money, I hate being late, I hate being lost and I was in a terrible mood, “Why me? Why is no one else this useless with directions?”

I may have even shed a tear or two in frustration.

And then I prayed and asked God to PLEASE let SOMEONE in this place know where I need to go.

Jeanette then returned my call.

I had NO idea what she was saying (I don’t know that area AT all) but I dutifully wrote down everything, inside hoping for the best.

And then Dear Philip appeared. He’d probably been filling another car with petrol when I first asked the other useless people.

That was so God. If it was the movies, the music would have changed, etc.

I told him what I was looking for and he said he knew exactly how to get me there.

He told me once, I repeated it to him and then we both repeated the directions together.

I thanked him profusely and I was off. (In the Amazing Race, the Americans usually hug these people and D and I laugh, but now I know why – immense gratitude).

I followed his directions exactly, saw the boat place on the corner which both he and Jeanette mentioned and I drove into the place.

20 minutes late!

For a time management coach!!!!

(to be continued…)

Where are you on the directions scale? 1 is terrible and 10 is "I hardly need a map; I just figure it out as I go"

P.S. I love GOOD directions in words. When people email me, I copy and paste them into a Word doc, enlarge to 20 point, number them (so I can remember I was on number 5) and print. I then keep on the passenger seat next to me. And yes, I have a folder called Directions with all the people who have ever emailed their directions to me and also directions to our house, from all parts of Jhb :)