MAPS AND I

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

According to Wikipedia a map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Which doesn't bring me any further to understand how to read a map !

It also says that road maps are perhaps the most widely used maps today, and form a subset of navigational maps, which also include aeronautical and nautical charts, railroad network maps, and hiking and bicycling maps. Fortunately I am not a pilot, because instead of landing at the South Pole I would certainly fly you to the Northpole if I follow the map. I am not a captain either although there are captains who are like me, they can't read a map, because otherwise the disaster of the Costa Concordia wouldn't have happened. Fortunately I don't need hiking maps, I am too lazy for that and to sit on a bike I have forgotten.

It's a disaster for the driver (Mr. G.) when I sit beside him with a map on my lap, which he had given me explaining exactly where we are and where we have to go. So I sat there and looked at this network of different colored lines and curves and still didn't know where I was. He insisted and pointed his finger on the spot where we were supposed to be and then on the spot where we had to go. But it didn't work, because we were in the wrong direction, the place where we had to go according to the map was behind us. I found this not logical at all and said I have to turn around the map because it shows the wrong direction. Full of good will I did, but then I couldn't read the names of the streets or towns because they were upside down and I started to feel sick. I can't read for long in a car.

At the beginning of our life together he got very angry because he thought I did it on purpose, but I swore I didn't I just don't know where I am on a map not to speak where South, North, East or West is. For me on a map it's "up, down, left, right". Before the arrival of the GPS, the poor man had to stop, take the map and read where we had to go and then we arrived for sure.

But when I had to go somewhere alone with a map, it was a catastrophe ! Once I wanted to go to a town located in the North of the Country, but of course took the wrong way to the South, had to ask X times for my way and was exhausted when I arrived.

Although I know Brussels and Waterloo by heart, I still manage to take the wrong way, following my instinct. There was nothing to do, my instinct and the maps weren't on the same line. To my excuse I can say that I am a little dyslexic, and that's probably why.

When we were in London to visit our son, Mr. G. prepared the tube map for me :



at least I found my way without any problems.

Since 3 years I am the happy owner of a GPS, and since I got used to not only listen to the voice but also have a look on the map, I am like a blind who became owner of a dog.