This post is part of a writing prompt blog hop some lovely ladies host called FTSF (Finish the Sentence Friday). If you haven’t heard of it, I highly recommend checking it out! This week’s prompt was to finish this sentence:
A funny thing happened on the way to…
So, here it goes:
Well, it wasn't so much a "ha ha" type of funny, than it was a "I have to find the humor in this" funny before I rip my hair out and lose my mind!
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE DOCTOR’S
I had planned a month in advance to have my mother-in-law watch Alivia while I went to a much needed and overdue doctor's appointment. After dropping Alivia off and going over a checklist of items to help my mother-in-law care for her in my absence, I was off to the doctor's. Did I mention it was about an hour away? Anyhow, I jumped in my car, put my seatbelt on, and opened the navigation app. on my Droid for directions. Since my mother-in-law just moved, I was unfamiliar with the area and had no idea how to get to the nearest highway. I was having a grand ol’ time driving, admiring the scenic route, and singing at the top of my lungs to my country playlist. And in the midst of my beautiful surroundings and the vocal stylings of Little Big Town, I was blissfully unaware of the time. When I did finally glance at the clock, I realized I had been driving for over 35 minutes with not a highway or familiar landmark in sight. Or was it familiar? I turned down the radio and began to take a closer look outside. Didn’t I see that farm already? And that little corner store? Seriously; what was going on? I pulled the car over to view the line-by-line directions and zoom out on the map to see the entire route. To my horror, I found that I had been driving in circles. Big circles, but circles none the less. I could actually see the route on the map as it circled around and looped back at this one particular street. I was baffled! And now, with only 10 minutes left to get to the doctors, I began to panic. I had no idea where I was nor which town I was in. That’s not even the worst part! Like I mentioned earlier, my mother-in-law just moved and I forgot her new address. And, apparently, I never updated her contact information in my phone, so I was sort of up sh#@’s creek without a paddle. In the meantime, I had to call my doctor at the last minute, explain to them what happened, and reschedule. I can only imagine what they were thinking when I told them I’d been driving in circles!
To make a long story short, I finally got a hold of my husband and he gave me his mom’s address. Only the navigation was still taking me in circles! I had to drive in a completely different direction just to get myself out of that "circle of hell" on the map. Once I did, I was able to reenter the address and navigate back to my mom’s house.
Of course, by the time I arrived, I was frazzled! Not only frazzled, but embarrassed to tell my mother-in-law that it took me 40 minutes to realize I was driving in circles! Lucky for me she cast no judgment and even tried to console me when my eyes welled up with tears just thinking about having to make another trip to the doctor’s office and finding a babysitter for Alivia.
I wanted to throw my Droid out the window, but I refrained myself. Now, instead of relying solely on my phone for directions, I always take a print out of directions with me as well.
Looking back I can laugh about it now, at how unaware and preoccupied I was to notice the same streets, farms, and stores, I repeatedly passed.
I’ve heard of navigation programs taking you the wrong way, or saying your destination is on the wrong side of the road, but never about taking someone in circles. Has your navigation ever failed you, or taken you in circles? If so, I’d really love to hear about it.
If you missed my previous post, I’d say I need a vacation if my kid weren’t such a trip, feel free to stop by and check it out. Maybe my silly poem on parenting will put a smile on your face!
Happy Friday!
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