If I had to make a list of things that I hate, getting lost would would definitely be high up there- especially because I have no GPS, no navigation system on my phone, and absolutely no sense of direction. Triple threat. Last week, I found myself in a crazy situation. I was attempting to make my way back to Montclair State from Seton Hall University in South Orange. It was 11:00 pm, driving down South Orange Ave looking for the Garden State Parkway when I realized I was headed into the heart of Newark. Yikes. I'm not knockin Newark, but it's not the safest place to drive by yourself at night- like any city, it can be a little scary. And not gonna lie, I was getting a little nervous. I needed to find the parkway, I needed to get off this dark street, I needed directions. So I called my dad :)
My phone was glued to my ear; the sound of my dad's worried voice ringing through my ears as he was repeatedly asking me why on earth I was on that street at this time of night. I have NEVER listened so intently to the directions my dad started telling me, turn by turn. The situation I was in really intensified my listening-and I tried tuning out all the "noise" or anything that distracted me, which was a struggle. I was stopped at a red light, and a man was walking a little too close to my car for my liking, sirens were wailing in the background, people were shadily standing on street corners or jumping across the street with no regard to cars coming toward them. So many things were grabbing my attention, causing me to lose focus on my dad's directions, and I had to ask him to repeat what he had said many times. But bottom line is that when it came down to it, I held on to my Dad's words like they were the last words I would ever hear. I didn't interrupt. I wasn't fumbling with the radio or thinking about my plans for the next day. I listened. And because I listened, I found my way back to Montclair safe and sound.
The situation I was in greatly influenced my participation in the communication process.
If I was in the comfort of my own house asking my dad for directions, and not under the strain of being in an unfamiliar city, not knowing where I was, I can't honestly say that I would have paid as close attention as I did. It changed everything, and made all the difference.
If I learned from this experience: a GPS is definitely worth the investment.
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I think everyone has been put in this situation before. I know that when i first got my license and began driving, I didn't have a GPS either and my sense of direction was okay, but not perfect. I had countless times where I drove somewhere I was unfamiliar with and ended up getting lost and driving around for hours before I was able to figure out where I was. Even today, after purchasing a GPS i'm sometimes a little reluctant to use it for some reason, maybe it's because i'm a guy and we're stubborn, i'm not quite sure the reason. But being lost is a pain and i've had to call people to give me directions and it's true, you listen to every word they say, at least every word until you figure out where you are, then you go back to tuning them out haha.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get a GPS till this past summer and its a life saver. Even if you like having written directions its still great to have as backup in case of situation as that one. Especially when driving at night its like a safety net to have. And ff your lost you listen to that voice on the GPS like no other. Its like having your "parent" in the car.
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