Get Lost

In my younger years (how depressing is it that I am old enough to make that statement) I made a habit of getting lost.  I have a pretty good sense of direction, so getting lost was completely intentional.  Most of the time it was in a car, occasionally it was on foot. For instance, in St Maxime, France I bumbled into a street festival once. The women were beautiful, and the eclairs weren't bad either. Wondering how close I could get to Virginia without leaving the Outer Banks, I became stranded on a sandbar and had to spend the night in my Bronco, waiting for low tide to drive back down the coast the next morning. I even found the neighborhood I now live in completely by accident.

It is almost impossible to get lost now-a-days. Google Maps makes traveling infinitely safer, easier, and cheaper than ever before.  It knows every construction delay, traffic jam, and speed camera.  GPS technology is amazing. When I leave my normal service area to work on a machine, it is very comforting to have that lady in a box that knows how to get there. I can focus on the road instead of the directions. It is safer and easier to travel now, but the sense of adventure has been lost.

Having to pay attention to where you are creates situational awareness that is absent when you are just waiting for the nice lady to tell you where to go, but Google needs to know your intentions in order to guide you. What if your intentions are to simply “go?” You can’t thwart Google that easily.  It will catch up, offering suggestions as you travel. It is handy when you need gas or a McDonald's, but what if you want real food, or to find that house surrounded by a million Christmas lights all year long? There are many sources for user submitted reviews and even books of interesting things to find along the road. But whose interest does Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Habbo, or Linkedin serve? Like a Congressional Subcommittee, their only goal is to remain in existence. They intend to help you make good decisions, but they can make you complacent. Is a place mediocre if you think it is, but the reviews are great?  Mediocrity is rampant, no matter how many stars the Cinnamon Dolce Latte earns.  What does Bob985671 know about coffee, anyway?

Boy Scouts never get lost. What a horrible life they must live. I have found many wonderful things not looking for them. What would happen if you simply took a left out of your driveway and didn't plan where you were going. Shut down the GPS and phone (usually the same device) and drive until you don't recognize anything around you. It is time to disconnect and fill the tank, both spiritually and fluidly. You might even find that house surrounded by hundreds of stuffed panda bears.

Of course some of the adventure is lost when you realize it doesn't matter where you go, to get back home just fire up that smart phone. It is only too willing to get you to your destination, and find the trendiest place to eat on the way.