In Jessica McCaughey’s “Aligning
the Internal Compass”, I found a short story that brought me back to the days
of my study abroad program and my attempts to travel in unfamiliar places. Your
internal compass from my experience seems to be something that isn’t just
inherited. You either possess the ability to thrive in uncomfortable situations
or you are prepared with knowledge. Your ability to decipher maps that are in
foreign languages or find seemingly invisible landmarks is an important aspect
to travelling both efficiently and effectively.
In this day
and age, technology has given those who are not directionally enabled a tool
that is worth its weight in gold. Smartphones equipped with GPS can tell you
where you are and if for some reason you can’t find the place you are going,
then you have the world wide web – both in the palm of your hand. I will not go
as far as to say that I’m am directionally challenged mainly due to my
impressive feat of navigating the Tokyo subway system by myself one day but I definitely
have my bad days. The first necessity is to have a game plan, even if it is
very vague. The city you want to visit and what you would like to see and do
when you are there. Secondly, you need to use and possess the resources that
are available to you; maps and guidebooks are really the only tools that will
help you help yourself. In Tokyo, the first thing I did was find a subway map,
with this in hand I figured out the subway system I was by reading signs and
then looked to see where I was planning on going. The night before I had made a
list of stations that I was told to check out, I found them on the map and then
began plotting my route toward them. Efficiency was the key since I had a clear
time frame. However, given the different number of lines and transfers it was
no easy task. But, I was prepared with knowledge and a plan and so I was just
fine.
This brings
me to the story of McCaughey and her father and their pathetic attempt to
navigate the woods. It was clear to me that from the beginning, it was not
going to go so well. Their lack of knowledge and preparedness prove to be harsh
when they become lost and unable to read the map. As an Eagle Scout, I spend my
fair share of weekends in the woods and on backpacking trips through the mountains
where it was vital that we know how to us these basic and frankly ancient tools
of navigation. It seemed to me that with all of her attempts to try and improve
her sense of direction, she just never seemed to improve. Barely making it out
of the woods as one of the last groups (I saw that coming) it was clear that
she and her father should either never go back into the woods or actually take
a real instructional class on navigation. From my experiences, once you can
figure out your current position and have a good idea on how far you walk
(which requires setting a pace), it is not very hard from then on.
I found the
story overall humorous and entertaining although at times frustrating that they
just could not figure out where they were or where they had to go. The origins
of directional skills in my opinion depend on your preparedness and experience.
It isn’t really something you are born with, maybe your comfort level in sticky
situations can play a big part but being able to use the tools you are given properly
makes the world of a difference.
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