Took a drive the other day from the San Fernando Valley (my home!) to visit with a friend in Santa Monica. It's not that far, only about nineteen miles. But then there is the 405. When we first moved to this lovely valley surrounded by four mountain ranges, that drive took about twenty minutes over one of them. Now, in spite of more lanes, more on ramps, more speed, it takes at least twice that long. My GPS told me forty- five minutes from start to finish. And I only turned the GPS on because I wasn't sure of the off ramp I needed when I got close to my destination. And, I wanted to hear if there were any sudden changes in traffic. But I mostly knew the way.
What a nice break from the chaos of the news! A pleasant drive, pleasant weather, nice views of blue sky and puffy white clouds. Things started out fine! Gas tank full, radio on the classical station, and GPS guiding me safely along. Until it wasn't. About five minutes after I had gotten on the freeway I started getting messages about 'using the next on ramp' to enter the freeway'. Hmmm. I was ON the freeway. This happened several times and then suddenly the announcement 'Signal lost from GPS'. Well okay I could live with that. I wasn't lost! But this supposedly reliable and essential service kept telling me it was lost! Nothing to be done. It had lost track of me.
It began to feel very relevant to have been lost by the system...a mirror of how I felt about my role as a citizen in these not-united states. I had done the thing of protest the day before, that thing of going off my FB page and disconnecting from what has become a very real connection to my world of friends and family. I did it because it was the right thing to do, but I felt somehow that an act of cutting oneself off from connection was just another rift in community. One day wasn't much, but can you imagine if our only recourse to show our disapproval or disagreement became a permanent disconnect from the rest of society? Somehow it felt like the oppressors were gaining another point by forcing this protest on us, and we were losing track of ourselves.
The GPS kept instructing me to get on the freeway (which I was still on!) until it was time to exit. Then suddenly I was 'found' and given a direction to transition to another freeway. Good thing I already knew that was coming up and had moved into the right lane in time enough to make the turn. I was just one person in a sea of cars. I wondered if all of us had been lost, or if I was the only one. I didn't like to think I was alone.
For me you all serve as my personal GPS. You keep me sane, you keep me on the right track, and you give me direction when I ask for it. Thank you. Let's just keep guiding each other as best we can, and when we can.
