In 1983, President Ronald Reagan decreed that the Global Positioning System, which was previously used exclusively by the military, would be open to the public. Little did he know that this decision would affect the lives of untold numbers of couples, all habitually deadlocked on whether to ask for directions.
No More Getting Lost
In an era where “MapQuest” is a verb, having no sense of direction or ability to read a map have become excusable flaws. You can almost count on having a GPS nearby. The technology-focused market research company Forward Concepts reports that 171 million units were shipped last year and more than three times as many will ship in 2011. Though most of the devices are embedded in cars and phones, they’re also helping people keep track of meandering pets, kids and impaired adults.
But, if life truly is about the journey and not the destination, losing “lost” could be a real loss. Consider the ramifications on Western culture had the technology popped up sooner. Would there be The Odyssey? Columbus might’ve actually found the Orient (“Make the next legal U-turn”).
Losing sight of our meandering ways and the connections made with people during unexpected sojourns may be the biggest loss of all. What happened to directions scribbled on cocktail napkins? Or, for that matter, spontaneity? It used to be half the joy of a family trip to spread out the map on the dash, strap the dog to the roof and admit that you had no way to answer the age-old question: “Are we there yet?”
On the flip side, depending on what GPS voice features your device offers, today you may be able to avoid familial conflict by letting Mr. T tell the kids exactly how far there is to go. Getting lost has become an obsolete “problem”.
HAHA I still get lost even with my car’s navigation system.