It’s Just Around the Bend…

25 Jan 2011 2 Comments

by aubsadventure in General Life

In life, people learn how to direct others, how to read a map, latitude, longitude, street signs, red light, green light, one way, turn left, turn right, go catawampus… so many signs. However, not all who can read a compass can follow a map. 

Let’s talk about getting lost. I, Aubrey Medwid, am a wonder at it, yet I always find my way…it just takes a little longer. For the past two years I have been working at a company to which we travel about an hour out of town, winding this way, flowing that way, construction rewinding over there. One would think that after two years of driving this route, Aubrey Medwid could figure it out. Not the right assumption. I come to this one intersection, there is a bridge to my left, and three other ways to go. I need to go straight, but my feeling every time is to cross that bridge. About once in every five trips out, I do.  About once in every five trips I am convinced for a good ten minutes that it is the right way. After that ten minutes pass, there is another intersection, since it is leading the correct way I should be going, I follow it. Now twenty minutes pass, and all of a sudden I am in the middle of nowhere where there is random mountainous landscape, cliffs, forest, beautiful homes… and a dead end. Definitly not the right way and no way out but retracing my steps. The best part of this adventure that I take, is that I am so convincing to others that I know my way, the passenger in the seat next to me, has faith and believes in me that we will make it, and our destination is ‘just around the bend’.

Another classic ‘just around the bend’ mannerism of mine, happend one fateful day last spring. As the activity coordinator for ESL(english as a second language) students, the ambassador of touring these lovely humans around Vancouver and giving them a taste of Canada. I decided it would be fun to go into Stanley Park and play some good old fashion soccer. Looking for the field in which this activity was going to partake,  not so easy of a story. We hop on a bus, get dropped off, I look at a map and take a wrong turn…somewhere?? Entering the Stanley Park wall, clearly not on the right path, but don’t worry everyone, we ‘are just around the bend!!’ Walking, walking, walking… this is an activity that ESL students do not like,  before long, (long meaning after an hour) the questions arise. After long (one and half hours), I finally admit that we are the wrong way and where we want to be is up on the cliff that is to our left and there’s no way to it. I offer two choices, turn back or simply push forward to the beach(that may or not may not be… just around the bend). Since I am a master at keeping moral up, they follow. Another half hour…. AHHHHHHHh… heavenly sounds, light beams shining throught the clouds… the beach. I ask if they want to play soccer on the beach… at first very tentative, unsure, and a bit disappointed, but as soon as we begin the game, this misadventure turned out to be one of our most memorable activities!!

There have been many more incidents of myself losing the way, being confident and coaxing others to join me in my crazy ideas. I really hope these incredible moments continue… even if I admitted to my disoriented orientation…follow me?