maps

Walking to a friends place in New Farm last night I stopped and asked 3 tow truck drivers if they knew where the street was. Now the odds are fairly high that a tow truck driver will know the area like the back of his hand, much like a taxi driver. I asked and no immediate recognition of the name...thats cool one of them is sitting in the drivers seat with a small global positioning system GPS in front of him. Now I am not a fan of the GPS as I would rather find my own way and look around the enviroment for landmarks as I go. Once I have found my way once its much easier the next time. I forget names and numbers but I never forget landmarks. The places enter my internal map. The map in my brain I guess. But on this occasion ...its thank God for the GPS the problem should be solved in seconds. No, he types in the name and then stares at the screen ...and stares at the screen. It must be complicated and out of the way I think. A back street that needs endless turns, right, then left, then go two streets then right again and go around the roundabout twice backwards, say the majic word etc.
I think about asking can I have a look on the screen but I dont feel too invited into there space. I make small talk with the others. One says joking we are top class tow truck drivers we only use GPS.
I get pen and paper ready for a set of complex instructions.
One of them mentions theres a street directory in the other truck. Noone moves to get it. Eventually after what must of been an awkward ten minutes Mr GPS says, ahhh its close by just walk up to next set of lights turn left(its Brunswick street a mainroad) and then keep walking you will hit it.
And it was simple to find. I will never forget how to find it.
I am convinced we are giving away skills, abilities and ways of thinking and remembering to our technology. Technology has become a drug that is blinding us to our living, breathing world.