Yes, the title of this post is a very apt metaphor for my life at present, but my intention is to write about how to literally navigate when you literally do not have a sense of direction.
My ASL class begins next week, so I decided to walk the route to and from the school. I have learned the hard way that if I want to arrive at any new place on time, I must do a trial run and make sure that I know the route. So, before I made my way to the school for the first time, I looked up the route online. Since I can’t read a map very well at all, I simply printed out the written directions:
1: Start out going SOUTH on JUNIPER ST toward ALDER ST.
2: Turn RIGHT onto ALDER ST.
3: Turn LEFT onto CATALPA ST.
4: Turn RIGHT onto HOLLY ST.
5: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto WILLOW ST.
6: Turn RIGHT onto QUINCE ST.
7: Turn LEFT onto REDWOOD ST.
8: Turn RIGHT onto HAZEL ST.
9: Turn LEFT onto LILAC DR.
10: 100 LILAC DR is on the LEFT.
Yesterday, I set off for the 2 ½ mile round trip. Because my directions were clearly printed, I had no trouble finding the school at all, and I was delighted by what I saw: children playing soccer, a beautiful, green campus, and plenty of parking. I was able to locate the building in which I’d have to check in, but I decided that I didn’t want to venture too much further onto the campus. I wondered whether someone might ask me whether I needed help, and I was anxious that I wouldn’t know how to respond. I don’t know sign language yet, and since I was wearing my headset, I wouldn’t be able to speak to anyone, either.
All the same, I was quite pleased to have found the campus without difficulty, so I turned around and headed for home. The key words here are turned around. Turn me in a direction different from the one in which I’ve started, and I’m lost. (And yes, I mean that literally as well as figuratively.) Unfortunately, I hadn’t printed out the directions in reverse, so I was left trying to figure out how to reverse them in real time. I always have a problem with this task, but most of the time, I deny that it’s an issue at all. This time, the denial resulted in my getting lost less than a mile from my house. I needed to stop and think very hard, several different times, about how to read my instructions backward so as to find my way home.
Since I cannot create a mental picture of any route I’ve ever taken, all I could do was to work with the printed text. By the time I was close to my house, I’d finally figured it out. I realized that all I had to do was to start from the bottom, reverse each direction (changing Left to Right and Right to Left), and apply it to the street name in the step above it. Here’s how it looks for the first two turns in a homeward direction (reading from the bottom up):
7: Turn LEFT onto REDWOOD ST.
LEFT
8: Turn RIGHT onto HAZEL ST REDWOOD ST.
RIGHT
9: Turn LEFT onto LILAC DR HAZEL ST.
I was am kind of exceedingly proud of myself over this bit of magic. I deeply envy admire those who can hold the image of a route in their minds, but for someone as directionally challenged as I am, another strategy is a necessity. Happening upon the logic of how to reverse course was an incredible relief.
© 2009 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg
Great work, Rachel! It’s hard, but when I can finally accept something about myself (or another) that I’ve always just dismissed or denied, I can usually find a work-around… that Aspie creativity kicks in so much more effectively, the ability to come at a problem from a whole new perspective. =0)
I have a ‘dead-reckoning’ sense of direction… which causes me endless problems with folks who Think they know where they’re going, but don’t… I still can’t not say something. LOL So don’t envy a sense of direction in an Aspie, it’s nooooooo blessing. It’s just another way to tic people off.
You must be getting pretty excited about school starting…
Hi DB: You’re right about the Aspie creativity. My husband told me this morning that two friends of his–one in a wheelchair and one with Parkinson’s–were really heartened to hear about my workarounds. They could very much relate to the necessity of developing them.
I am getting very excited about the class, but also very anxious. It’s a new place, with new people. I don’t speak the language. I hope they’ll be friendly. I hope they’ll like me. Etc. etc. etc. You know the drill….
Remember, they’re used to people who don’t speak the language. =0) Just showing an interest in learning theirs puts you way ahead of the crowd.
Some people will like you and some won’t. That’s about them, not you.
Just breathe deep, look up and out, and be patient with self and other. Stay in touch with your own good heart. No heart-treasure worth having comes easy, but you have the mind and the love to stay on the path.
Blessings,
DB
Way to go on finding a way around this challenge! I am blessed with a sense of direction but it seems that my kids aren’t, especially the middle child who at 16 is still pretty clueless about where places are and how they relate to one another. (Whaddya mean, X is actually quite close to Y???).
I’m also proud of you for learning another language, I have been fascinated by languages all my life, and spent many years studying them. The only problem is that you are then expected to SPEAK them. To PEOPLE. Oy vay. Now I am tired of that and have reached a point I never thought I would. I;m not so interested in learning more languages. Just give me the quirky stuff about words, like the book I just picked up about Arabic words that pop up in a variety of European languages and let me perseverate on that, thank you very much!
In the meantime, I;m still waiting for someone to hand me a copy of The Script…
Enough of my burblings. GOOD LUCK with the new language learning, and please do keep us posted!
Misfit, I have the same history of fascination–and difficulty–with foreign languages as you do. (I’ll talk more about that in a later post…) I’m excited about ASL because it’s visual. Although I can’t visualize routes or rotate three-dimensional objects in my mind, I’m very good at focusing on a visual task that’s right in front of me. Plus, ASL is so beautiful to watch–a language and an art form all in one.
I’ll look forward to that post.
And hopefully you can find something out for me. A couple of years back I was at the launch of a disability organization and when it was time to leave, I wanted to get past a group of 2 or 3 people who were inadvertently blocking the way. I think all or most were Deaf, as they were signing, and the two nearest me had their backs to me. I didn;t want to poke anyone on the shoulder, as I thought that would come across as aggressive or rude. I waited till someone turned towards me, caught their eye, said excuse me and waved my hands a bit. They smiled and moved aside, and I smiled and gave a thumbs up because I don;t know how to sign thank you.
I’d like to know the proper protocol in that situation, and how to say thank you. Did I really make a fool of myself?
Misfit, I don’t know the proper protocol yet, but for an example of how to say “thank you” (and other words) in ASL, see http://www.lifeprint.com/.
Sign language wouldn’t work for me because when I’m tired people’s movements hurt my head. Does anyone else have that problem?
Thank you for your blog by the way Rachel. I got into a big muddle over something yesterday and then remembered something you’d written about autistic people complaining of excessive empathy. Then I realised “Oh, people walk all over me because I feel pain when I stand up to them because I can see their discomfort.” Which explains a lot.
looks like an interesting site. Thank you!
Hi: I can’t wait to hear more about your classes: how it’s going. Is it easy or really hard!?
Also, I have one of those navigation systems (they are getting cheaper now) it tells me, through voice output , where to go..etc., maybe you can get one of those–to eliminate one extra thing to worry about!
Holly,
What a great suggestion! I’ll have to get one of those GPS navigators. Why didn’t I think of that?
The ASL class starts tomorrow. I’ll share my experiences as I go along…