Is There a Life GPS?

For those of you that have a GPS system in your car, you will most certainly understand my close relationship with my directional friend, Buffy. How she earned her name will be fodder for another day. Quite honestly, I am not quite sure how I got anywhere before. For those unfamiliar with my friend's attributes, I will tell you all about her.

I turn Buffy on the moment I enter my car, as if I couldn't even navigate out of my neighborhood without her help. She kindly warns me not to play with her while driving and then gives me the option to view a map or my favorite, "Where To?". I then give her any address I want and the magic begins. Buffy lets me know exactly when I will arrive to my destination if I am able to proceed exactly the way she tells me. I don't know how I managed to get to a location on time before she came into my life. I often run out to my car the night before I have to travel somewhere and she tells me when I should leave my house in the morning.

Now that Buffy has given me a travel time and step-by-step directions, I am on my way. If I stop for coffee or to pump gas, she silently gives me a time penalty and I usually consult her before making a stop along the way. I can also ask her where to find gas or food along my trip, and she always offers my several suggestions. If I am on an overnight trip, I can enter "wine" in the search feature and she lets me know where I can pick up my other friend along the way. Since she sleeps in the car, she never gets jealous of my other companions.

"Continue 3 miles and then turn left."
"In 1 mile,turn left."
"In .3 miles, turn left."
"Turn left."
I do not turn left for some reason. Buffy justs goes with the flow.
"Recalculating."

Buffy lets me know how to get back on the right travel path immediately and without hesitation. If I can't use a certain route, one tap of the detour icon and she lets me know a new way to proceed and how it will affect my arrival time. Her voice soothes me and keeps my company during my frequent business trips. She speaks about 20 different languages and I sometimes let her speak to me in French when I am not worried about forgetting that gauche not only means lacking in social grace, but also LEFT. I like the way she says "roundabout" in a snobby British tone. The next time I am in Germany, I will most certainly be able to tell someone to turn right in one mile. Handy.

"Whenever possible, make a U-turn."

Once in a while, Buffy will tell me that the only way to get to my destination is to turn around. She never panics and patiently waits for me to be able to make this maneuver. I never question her, as she is striving to meet our destination goal with unyielding determination. She never doubts that we will make it to wherever we need to go and just subtly adjusts our timeline. When I decide I need to stop to refuel me or my car, I know that Buffy is there for me to point me back on the right path when I decide to continue.

My favorite feature is the "Home" option. Wherever I am, I can press the icon like a tap of my ruby slippers, and she will safely bring me home and I know exactly what time my next hug will be.

I know there is no GPS for guiding life, but I think that I have learned some important life lessons from Buffy:

• We all need to have specific goals with step-by-step plans and a time guideline.
• When we miss a turn, we simply need to recalculate to get back on the path.
• When we hit a detour, we can always find an alternate way to still achieve our goal.
• We need to take the time to refuel and recharge to get us to our destination. Just remember that if you go too far off the path, the more time it will take to get there.
• That you can always go back home no matter where you are.
• When things get boring, change the way the messages sound to you. A new tone can teach you how to focus differently without changing your destination.
• That sometimes along our journey, we may find a path that we can't continue on but a simple maneuver can result in a new way to get where we need to go.

Deep inside of you will get a message that very calmly says, "Whenever possible, make a u-turn."