Page 10 - Verge eMag April 2018

Where Do We Go Now? II

Paul

Do you know where you are? Do you know where you’re going? Do you know how to
get there?

All questions my wife has asked as we travel from one place to another. And me? I’m a
man. So, the answer is always a resounding “YES” as I turn down the radio so I can see
better.

I must admit, I have become
addicted to the GPS on my
phone. I get a little anxious
when I lose signal and can’t pull
up the directions for where I am
going. It has gotten worse since
moving to the country where
there seem to be so many dead
spots.

Most of us rely on electronic
navigation to get where we are
going. I even heard of an officer
in the infantry who stopped to
plug the location of a hotel
where he was attending a conference into his phone. The hotel was 2 blocks away from
the restaurant where he had just been eating and he had traveled the route at least
three times before.

Knowing how to get where we are going is important. It becomes infinitely more so in a
crisis. If your ability to navigate is compromised and your normal route is impassable,
can you still get where you need to go? How about if your usual means of transportation
is unavailable? Do you have an alternative?

The biggest piece of being prepared for any situation is knowledge. It takes a little effort
to gain the knowledge necessary to be able to navigate without an electronic crutch, but
it is very liberating. There are essentially three types of travelers, and the knowledge
necessary for each is slightly different.