Lyle and I have just come home from a short trip to Los
Angeles and I am still thinking how grateful I am for the invention of the GPS
device. It is tricky enough to find one’s way around an unfamiliar and busy
city but the GPS certainly makes things easier. You might be wondering why I am
writing this when I don’t see to drive, but let me say that even a blind passenger
has a certain role as a navigator.
In the old days and when I could see a bit better than I do
now, Lyle and I had a different plan of action. Before we left home base to
find our way through a maze of unfamiliar freeways, Lyle would take out a paper
map. From this he would plot our route and together we would mark the various
turns with a thick felt marker on large pieces of white paper. When we set out,
I would be responsible for holding out the paper where he could see the
directions and then I would turn the page when appropriate. Strangely this
worked fairly well unless we happened to miss a turn or take the wrong exit.
Then we would need to find a place to park and start all over again. It didn’t
help that I couldn’t see to read the street signs or the names and numbers of
exits.
With the GPS, life is much simpler. Lyle puts in our
destination address and off we go. My job is still important. I must remember
to be quiet when the GPS is talking. That is a tall order for me because I do
like to talk! Then I must also listen to the GPS directions. If Lyle happens to
be distracted by traffic, and let’s face it, LA is notorious for heavy traffic
and busy intersecting freeways, I can
quietly repeat the same GPS directions.
I have become a fairly competent blind navigator.
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