Believe it or not, but this title is a segway from last
week’s post when I wrote about public washrooms. You might wonder how it would
be possible to be lost in one of these areas but let me assure you that it is
quite possible!. Perhaps getting lost might be too strong a term, but on the
other hand, not knowing where one is at can be equally as confusing. Some
public washrooms seem to be designed with a view to hiding the exit/entrance. I remember becoming quite disoriented in an
airport washroom where the entry had been camouflaged with a wall of tiled
mirrors. My friend, Sue, recalled a time when she ended up poking around in the
cleaning room instead of finding an exit
My most troublesome experience was at a campground. We had
arrived after dark to set up our tent. Then in case I needed to get up during
the night, and assuming Lyle didn’t want to crawl out of the sleeping bag to
accompany me, he led me back to the washhouse building. We did the route twice,
counting steps in each direction. I felt confident to try this on my own. Sure
enough at sunrise I was up and easily retraced my steps. What I hadn’t realized
was that the shower and toilet block had two entrances – one at each end of the
building. Wouldn’t you know it but I
came out the opposite door to the one I had entered by. I think I wandered
around the campground for nearly an hour before I spotted the orange tarp over
the back of our truck. When I crawled
back inside the tent, Lyle assured me that he was just about to come looking
for me.
On another occasion, I became confused inside a department store. Lyle and
I went to separate sections of the store with the understanding that we would
meet on a bench outside the main door
when we were done. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it, but do you think that I
could find the door? No way! I asked several times for directions but the
answer of “Just down there, dear,” was
never clear, and I finally felt my way around the interior wall of the store
until I came to the open doorway.
Unless I am concentrating, I can easily become confused as
to where I am. If you see someone with a white cane or a guide dog and you
think that they might need some help, please ask. Then, if the individual asks
for directions, try to be very clear in your response. “Just down there a little way” won’t quite do
it. It’s also not very helpful for you to point the way. Remember that the
person you are assisting doesn’t have the same visual cues that you do, so to
say, “turn at the big white house” isn’t helpful. You need to say a direction –
right or left - and if possible give an estimate of how far not very far means.
Does it mean five steps or fifty? Will there be a curb or even a fire hydrant
to mark a turn?
I am surprised that after all these years, on occasion I
still manage to lose my sense of direction. I am even more surprised at how
easily a sense of panic can creep up when I do feel lost. I suppose that the
advice I give to others is the same as the advice I try to follow myself. Stand
still, take a few deep breaths, and then if nobody else is around, try to
slowly make your way back from whence you have come. Eventually you will get to
somewhere even if it wasn’t your original destination.
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