"Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained"
Be careful where you tread, Metaphors are Everywhere
Over many years of fighting with a worthless, antique GPS, my wife and I had racked up countless wild goose chases, wasted hours on dead end roads, and adventures exploring industrial parks. My iPhone, though only a few years old, had been inconsistent at best with Google Maps. Emily and I agreed that life was way too short to waste it, going in the wrong direction.
So, I did my homework, searched the GPS reviews, found a great deal, and ordered a “new” Garmin. When we got it, I was amazed at how indistinguishable it was from the one we were replacing. . . hmmmm?
We took it for a dry run around our usual haunts, and though it was hard to set up, it got us there. Then we took it on its maiden voyage to Lacrosse, WI a couple hours away. It was cooperative until we were in the city and tried to enter the address of a house our friend was about to close on. Emily confirmed what she’d written down - “2405 Jupiter Street, Lacrosse, Wisconsin,” but the GPS kept trying to send us all over the US. I’ll admit, there were some harsh words exchanged.
We got so frustrated that in desperation I went to my iPhone to get rescued. I typed in 2405 Jupiter Street, and it immediately changed it to 2405 Juniper Street, Lacrosse. Five minutes later, we pulled into the driveway on JUNIPER St. - the “Sale pending” sign on the front lawn. My phone had a different way of thinking, and for once, we appreciated it.
After the obligatory though half-hearted apology to our new GPS, we figured we would give it a second chance on the way back to the motel. Emily kept trying to type in 209 Second Street, Lacrosse, WI . . . but again, to no avail. I decided to give it a try, and having just typed in “209 2n ” the entire address popped up. We just had to use the language the new friend could relate to.
Both the phone and the new GPS had different skill sets and favorable qualities. We just needed to give them a chance. And maybe cut them a little slack for their weaknesses - we had just demonstrated that we had our own.
Have you ever been ticked off at someone for screwing up only to realize it wasn’t them who actually messed up?
My husband bought one, and I named it "Karen."
It was the most savage thing I've ever accomplished. 😂
He is addicted to his Garmin, but uses it anc GPS to find the best route. Both he and my dad obsess over GPS; I figure we're going the right way and we'll get there anyway.
We used to argue when we were first married about the right path; we solved the argument by trying both approaches and timing them. I've since given up; I know when I'm beat. 🤷
He was one of the first people to get GPS (on his flip phone of all things! 😂) but I avoid technology as much as possible. Lol
I just wrote a long comment and it disappeared ! Technology is great when it works!