I had an opportunity to use my phone’s navigation services for the first time during my trip to the Bay Area. I have always avoided using it, since I am not too keen on turning on my GPS and letting letting all my applilcations know my location. I think the part I liked about it most was that if I disagreed with the directions I could just go the way I wanted and it would “reroute” me.
It hit me, during a close call at missing a turn (really, that is how far 50ft is!?), how incredible the way it would recaluculate the directions was. This is a true contribution to world peace. The phone was completely non-judgmental. It would never waste time on criticism of missing a turn. And since I knew it would always get me back on track, I was relieved of all tension regarding getting lost. I could deviate as much as possible and the GPS would simply reroute me back to my stated destination. No more remorse. No more panic.
This morning while I did my morning practice on the bandstand at Lake Merritt I wondered about my next move in this game of life. On Sunday someone mentioned the idea of pivotal life decisions, like my decision to run away from home and drop out of high school when I was 15 years old. She pondered on what our lives would be like if we had not made certain pivotal decisions.
I wondered if there might actually be a master GPS involved. Perhaps when we are born we punch in our destinations and then away we go. Then it is only an illusion that certain decisions are pivotal. If one of my destinations was California and I decided not to leave Michigan when I was 15 then I might have been given another opportunity to do so at 16 or 18 or 26 years old.
In my desire for enlightenment I have both been encouraged and worried by this idea. First, I am encouraged that no matter what turn I take, the master GPS can reroute me to my final destination from my detour. However, I am also worried because I’m not sure I put enlightenment in the GPS. I run into so many people that claim satisfaction with things as they are and are not really interested in enlightenment. I used to be in this group, so maybe enlightenment is not in my GPS.
Time to reprogram.