Monday, April 3, 2017

Motivational Monday - Navigationally Challenged

I've shared this before, but I am navigationally challenged.  If you have been a passenger of mine, you know this to be true.  I don't know why, but my mind doesn't let me work in "map mode."  

I drove down to Waukesha, by myself, to visit our daughter and son-in-law this past weekend.  Every time we have visited, we took a different way; either by choice or gps.  So, I don't actually know how to get to her house.  Now keep in mind that Waukesha is 25 miles big with 71,700 people.  Ringle is 42 miles big with 1,700 people.  It all seems like a mouse trap to me.  

On the way down, I missed the exit I wanted.  No worries, I told myself, I'll just drive down to the next one, take a right and that should take me to the road I wanted.  It did eventually, but was closed to "local traffic only" - I just drove around the dump trucks....I had to.  On that road I did see some awesome stone barns, so it was scenic.

Once I arrived, I handed the keys to Anna and she drove.  I would rather be a passenger than the driver.  We had a fun 2 days together.  Truthfully, I miss her terribly.  I know they are making a good life for themselves down there and that helps. 

We went thrifting to little towns that surround the Milwaukee and Waukesha areas.  My van is full.  Another little story:  we both love Pho and Anna wanted to check out this restaurant called Pho King (I know it sounds terrible, but funny).  It was the best Pho I've had to date!  I like to make it spicy, so much so, that I sweat while eating it.  Well, this time I was sweating and my face felt hot....oh no, I had the jalapeno oil on my fingers and wiped my face, my lip, pushed up my glasses under my eye...my face was red.  So, I went to the bathroom to wash it off.  I ended up with soap in my one eye, jalapeno oil in the other...mascara running...I was a mess!  But the Pho was the best!  (if you know me, things like this happen to me too!)

So, on Saturday late afternoon, with my heart and van full, I headed for home.  Anna said "Mom, do you think you know how to get home?"  I said "well the sun sets in the west, so I'll keep driving north."  I didn't want to tell her how scared I actually was.  I told old Siri "take me home" - another thing about that...she doesn't understand my Wisconsineese...I guess Wisconsinites have an accent...who knew? (smile).  Anyway, I didn't want to go on the interstate.  So after I passed their house a second time (I couldn't stand to stop and ask them for directions) I just keep driving with the sun on the left side of my face.  I did pull into a bank and asked Siri all kinds of "take me to..." none of which were helpful.  I really was almost in tears, but I decided too "embrace" my navigationally challenged self and figure it out.  I did it!  I wasn't that far off the road I wanted to be on - so that was good.  

I actually was laughing at myself on the way home.  I am 1/4 Native American, 1/4 Welch/English/Irish traveler and I am void of any "trappin and trackin" much less any "traveler" genes.  No matter where I go, it's always an adventure.

I guess I say all of this today in my Motivational Monday post so that you too can "embrace" and laugh at yourself at any short comings you may have.  You know, God created each of us with our own special gifts.  We all are good at something and other things maybe not so much.  Don't dwell on what you are NOT good at, rather focus on what you ARE good at.  Don't look at your short comings as negatives, rather turn them into positives.  This hasn't always been easy for me to do.  I tend to be hard on myself.  However, I've learned, through the grace of Christ, that I can be.  I sometimes sing "Peace of God cover me..." that might be what it takes that day to make it to the next.  I might not know how to drive from here to there, but I have learned how to navigate myself to Jesus with my problems.  You can too.




Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.   

Linked to:  http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-art-of-home-making-mondays-please.html

3 comments:

  1. hehehehe, you tell a great story!! i am challenged in the same way but we like getting lost, it's kind of fun, and we almost always see or find something really fun!! that's a great quote, i never heard it told in quite that way!!!

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  2. Glad you were able to find your way home. Funny story, but I am sure you were really scared at the time...I know I would be. Janice

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  3. Well you got home and that is the important thing right! The sat nav in my car often lies and always wants to take us via a town that isn't too far from us, but isn't near either, wherever we are going she wants to go there, so even if you use navigation aids they are not foolproof!

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