Lady GPS is my friend. That woman behind the GPS monitor patiently directs me to wherever I decide to go, and that is no easy feat. I have absolutely no sense of direction. An acquaintance who assesses traumatic brain injuries once told me it isn’t my fault. My brain just isn’t developed in the area of directions. I’m not sure how reassuring that statement is, but I know she’s right.
GPS devices are a miraculous invention. They have replaced the stress of trying to follow outdated maps and directions while driving on unknown roads. When navigating at night or in bad weather with poor visibility, the GPS calmly directs us to our destination. And Lady GPS does not even get impatient with us when we don’t follow her instructions. She simply “recalculates.”
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is relatively new to the public but now is a tool we can’t live without. The first satellite navigation system was successfully tested by the United States Navy way back in 1967. From that system, a man named Roger L. Easton developed the GPS in 1973, but it didn’t become fully operational until 1994.
In less than twenty years, the device has become a mainstay in most vehicles. And when not available or desired as a fixed item, most drivers opt for the portable ones that are easily and affordably updated.
Drive safely this summer, and let your GPS worry about how to get where you want to go.
©2013, Mary K. Doyle
Midwest Mary 