Sometimes, you gotta go old school

I do what any self-respecting man would do in the heat of the moment. I follow my instincts — I just pick a direction. I-4 West, I think. I drive on — soon to realize it’s the wrong decision. But, hey, I’m in no real hurry. We’ll cruise on down and make a U turn. I-4 West. U-turn. Now I-4 East. We’re back on track. Sponge Bob square pants. Sponge Bob square pants. Sponge Bob……. Square pants! We’re on our way!

My chief navigator tells me to take the next exit and soon after, we see another fork in the road. I say hastily, “Should I take this fork?”  She says no. At least until I pass it. Just one more wrong turn. No problem. I’m getting good at U-turns and besides, we have this GPS thing and we’ll use it to get right back on track. Did I mention we have electronic maps on two iPhones and a built in GPS in the family truckster?

I’m starting to feel like I’m lost in a corn maze because the choices of roads are everywhere. Not a big deal, except these roads look like they go on forever one way and I’m leery of taking the wrong one again and driving for miles before finding a place to U-turn. Which by the way, I’ve now become quite proficient at.

In a not so man-like move, I pull over to the side of the road to use some logic. Not man-like because a man would typically just keep driving, following that gut instinct.
So here we are. Eight hours later. Three runs of the movie Home Alone and a bunch of Winnie the Pooh and we’re sitting on the side of the road in the emergency lane. My bride with her GPS in hand. Me with mine, too, and the mean-lady voice coming out of the built-in GPS in the Ford. We’re concentrating with all our might to find the next road when Gracie calmly says… “Hey, there it is!” And yes, low and behold, through the trees a few yards away was our destination. Right there. So much for technology — all we needed to do was open our eyes!

The moral of the story?  I think in traveling and in running a business — sometimes going old school is the best way. Take a little time to get your bearings. Don’t skimp on preparation and rely too much on short cuts. Use your God-given ability to observe. Don’t over complicate. Listen. Think. Keep it simple. Don’t assume too much and if you’re gonna get lost…. Make sure Gracie is nearby.