the directionally challenged

I had my first "ahh haa directional moment" here in our new town the other day.

If you've ever moved to a new city, you know what I mean....where suddenly all those crazy twisty streets make sense and you finally figure out where you are....and how it all connects (and you feel a little proud of yourself).

Or maybe not everyone has those....maybe it's just me and my directionally challenged self....

...anyways!....my ahh haa moment occurred because of my not so directionally challenged son, Tony. Actually, if someone could be considered "gifted" in the area, that would be Tony. Tony is 13 and has been showing off his abilities since he started talking. He would be sitting in his little car seat and say in his little baby voice "why you goin this way mom? If you take 12th street it will be much faster". I'm not kidding....it was a little freakish....if a mom is allowed to call her kid a freak.

Last week, I went to Battle Creek to pick Tony up from a friends mom's house (Tony has been there maybe 4 times). Tony texted me the address and I map quested it. I ended up getting lost and called Tony (the mom was out grocery shopping). I hate getting lost and now I'm kicking myself for not talking to an adult before I left. I'm also on a time schedule so now I'm gonna be late to an appointment....another huge pet peeve! "You must have given me the wrong address" I accuse him. I decide right then and there that I've put too much trust in my little "directional Einstein".....I will never trust him again! Then Tony starts asking where I am....I tell him which highway I just got off.....he asks if I'm going east or west.....EAST OR WEST? how am I supposed to know? I'm lost, it's high noon, I don't even know which way the highway runs that I just got off and my 13 year old is talking in stinking east/west terms? I'm getting ready to hang up on his little directionally superior self when he asks me "do you see a Meijer"..."yes" then you need to turn around and go west" he says in a sweet little patient voice. He ended up getting me there.

Back to my ahh haa moment.....Tony figured out our new town completely in the first few days he was here. So when we go out somewhere, Tony will start in on his "why you goin that way mom?" routine again....which I've gotten really good at ignoring....I'm concentrating for goodness sakes!! I don't need distractions! I just wanna get where I'm going, the way I know, I'm not ready for anything fancy yet!!! But lately he's been more persistent "If you'd just listen to me....it will be a lot faster...I won't let you get lost....just try it for me....please" and then he gets that cute little "I'm the baby of the family and I know I have you wrapped around my finger" look on his face and gosh! he's so darn cute!

So I take "his way" and wa-la! there we are...... just where he said we'd be..... and suddenly.... it all makes sense! ahh haa!