Member-only story
The Problem with Google Maps
What if it matters how you get there?
I’m an 80s baby, more specifically born in 1980. The 80s/90’s had the luxury of featuring analog. The manual beauty of analog – it is only powered by effort.
I grew up in a suburb just off a major bridge, it was common for people passing through to stop and ask directions. Strangers asked me often. I used to assume I had the face of someone who knows where to go.
I found it interesting that people chose me to ask. I could be shy at times, but these adult interactions were surprisingly welcomed. They’d pull up to a group of us kids/teens usually playing street hockey (this was in Canada) and ask for directions. It felt like they were asking me.
In reality, I see they were just asking anyone but I was the one who felt the responsibility or the care to respond.
The stories we tell ourselves.
Deep down I think I wanted to believe it because I liked that someone would think that I knew how to get there.
I like the idea of being someone they could trust to follow, to listen to.
The idea of helping someone get to where they want to go felt empowering. Also, I guess I just cared and feared they may not get there.
