It is agonizing. Losing your inherent ability to navigate long distances like ancient Polynesians, who fearlessly tested the swells of the Pacific on months-long voyages guided only by their knowledge of the stars, leaves you but one course of action, admit defeat. Your three-hour trip is now an hour longer than expected and you haven’t the slightest idea of where you are or where to turn to next. To make matters worse, “Mrs. I Told You To Stop And Ask For Directions Forty Minutes Ago” sits beside you in the front seat. Her arms are folded. You can almost see the steam rising around the pair of $300 diamond earrings you got for her birthday a week ago. They mean nothing now. You try to avoid the icy stare as you pull off the road. The map lands unceremoniously in your lap. She was the navigator, but you don’t dare mention that now. You open the map as “Mrs. I” gets out to scan the terrain. You secretly wish you had never quit smoking. The road ahead is tree-lined and lonely. Six minutes pass as you continue staring at the map, your tired eyes mesmerized by the junctions of red, blue and gray lines. “Mrs. I” taps on the window. With a push of the button you lower the glass subjecting yourself to another jabbing comment. “Well?” The one word conversation signifies a deepening of the crisis at hand. She’ll tell you in a few minutes she needs to use a restroom. You passed the last gas station a half hour ago. You silently wonder how much a matching diamond necklace costs. You fold the map and succumb to the facts. Turning around is the one and only option, but at half past the closing hour of most city gas stations you wonder if the one 37 miles to your rear will be open. A silent prayer skips through your mind. The rules of admission come to your attention and the inadvertent act of not purchasing that electronic map because you wanted that new fishing pole more now haunt you. You weigh the cost of both the pole and the electronic map against the cost of that diamond necklace and you silently reprimand yourself. Would flowers work? You wonder, knowing the answer. “Mrs. I” gets in and slams the door. She needs to use a bathroom now. Her actions convey the message better than terse words. Defeat admitted you turn the car around. The psychology course you took twenty years ago pops into your mind. You dropped the course but remember counseling works by helping people look objectively at behaviors and feelings in troublesome situations. There were effective ways to deal stressful situations and various approaches. A few come to mind. Halfway back to the gas station you look at “Mrs. I” and try to start a simple conversation. You get cut off immediately with the wave of the hand as she snatches the map off the console. You’re glad you dropped the course. The lights at the country gas station are still lit and your praying intensifies. You roll into the station and notice someone locking the door. He’s an old-timer, probably owned the station for fifty years or better you surmise. His legs are bent with age. His pate shines under the glare of the office light. The crook of his cane hangs from his pants pocket. He looks a lot like a savior to you. You pull up close to the door. He turns and smiles. “Lost?” His dentures chatter. “Bet the Mrs. needs the restroom,” he adds. Without a reply he unlocks the door, goes inside, and returns with the restroom key. “Mrs. I” thanks him and trots around the corner. “Come inside.” The old-timer waves his hand. Inside you look around and wonder how he manages to stay in business. The sign outside advertises a gallon of gas for $3.26, a half a buck over the city’s average price. Trinkets adorn the counter. The place is neat and clean. “I have one those new-fangled, electronic map gizmos. One left. Also carry some nice gold jewelry.” You sense the déjà vu feeling as it jumps all over you. His face suddenly becomes familiar. You spot a dusty diploma hanging on the wall, most of it is illegible. You barely make out the PhD in . . . psychology. “The electronic gizmos are $400. I’ve one real nice gold necklace I’ll let you have for $300; a real bargain considering your situation fella.” He smiles. You hand him your debit card and wish you hadn’t dropped his psychology course.
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Using an eletronic map device can save you a lot ot time and money. Electronic maps can get you out of a jam.
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