January 25, 2023 –
I love maps and can’t follow directions. My wife doesn’t need a map or directions. Once she has been somewhere, she can return to that location without help. (Like a homing pigeon or a monarch butterfly returning from the US and Canada, where they breed, to central Mexico, where they hibernate).
I used to collect highway maps. As I crossed into a new state, I got them from gas stations and state welcome centers. My favorite place was Cracker Barrel; you picked up a United States map showing their locations and could have an excellent meal while in the restaurant. After I got married, my wife and I joined AAA and used their great travel maps.
When I pull into a gas station (no longer called a service station), I never ask for a map they no longer have. And the person inside the store doesn’t have the slightest idea of how to get from his location to anywhere else, including destinations in his hometown. And certainly, don’t ask for local restaurant recommendations.
They depicted ancient forms of maps on clay tablets and cave walls. Today, maps are readily available on cell phones, wrist watches, car monitors, computers, and other electronic tracking devices. Map production has come a long way, but I still need help following the directions.