Familiar Intersections

As someone who has no sense of direction, I am quite familiar with the gut reaction of ‘this doesn’t feel right’ accompanied by 'I have no clue which way to turn.' There are two things that alleviate that stress – seeing a familiar landmark or asking for help.  In these electronic days, getting that help is much easier than it used to be, but MapQuest and GPS do not overcome the frustration of feeling lost or give one back the time that has been spent going in circles.

Perhaps, like me, you are at a difficult intersection.  We have all been at Indecision and Stuck, or Rock and Hard Place, or Mad and Hurt.  What or who is your GPS when you are in need of directions from those crossroads?

Me?  I tend to get very quiet and still and stand on each corner for a while, looking up and down all paths.  Then, having stood alone and having assessed every corner, I will tell my close friends where I am.  Sometimes I present a snapshot of the place.  Other times I may share the whole trip that got me to that point.  What I need from my GPS friends can vary from ‘just listen to me’ to ‘have you ever been at this crossroads?’ to ‘please help me navigate these particular streets.’

We humans are not alone in these experiences.  The trees I saw at the arboretum this weekend are distressed having spent the summer at Heat and Drought.  As I was writing this, the sparrows and doves on my balcony found themselves at what for them is a very routine intersection – Eat or Be Eaten.  They all suddenly took flight.  It is common for them to fly off in a flurry of feathers for no reason that I can see.  This time, a few moments after they few away, a falcon landed on my railing. 

There are people I know whose current intersections include Cancer and Cancer or Pain and Suffering. When I see them I know that my challenge, awful and hard as it may be, pales in comparison.  Finally, I also know that one day soon I’ll travel to Joy and Delight because I’ve been on the highway long enough to know that those places do exist.

Whatever intersection you face this week, whether familiar or some new place, you will be able to do something to clear the route with the support of your GPS friends.   And, if your map is currently clear at the moment and you are helping someone else interpret the road signs, remember their path is unique and the best you can do is ride shotgun.

Marilyn