the joy of exploration by Mike May

The fun aspects of exploring with GPS come in many varied ways.

Today at the O&M conference here in Richmond, Katie and I did 2 lectures in the hotel and two walk-about sessions with the O&M instructors. The fun part is seeing how the folks start to have the lights go on and picturing how this GPS would work for their students.

My last group was a bit wild, quite chatty and not really into following the plan I outlined for them. Instead, we went in search of a folklore Center, quite a ways away. It turned out to be closed but the GPS guided us right to the door. I'd warned them not to expect this. Fun when it actually happens.

On the way back to the hotel, we came across a bunch of people on the sidewalk and I was informed this was an Obama campaign center. We stopped and chatted with the folks who wanted us to take lawn signs, not too practical to post at our hotel rooms or to carry on an airplane.

One gal was trying to get by us but she was afraid of my Seeing Eye dog. Her colleagues teased her saying it's a Service dog, don't be a frady cat.

She finally slipped by and next thing I know, she is asking me if she can touch the dog. Very tentatively, she touches Tank. Being the chick magnet he is, he gives her a lean and now she is in love.

She asks if she can get a camera from her car to take a picture. I agree to wait and she returns in 5 minutes to snap photos of Tank and me.

Perhaps she didn't want me to feel left out because then she says, would you mind if I gave you a hug. Sure, why not.

So, a coincidental stop while out exploring with GPS ended up with a fun social interaction with a bunch of like-minded Obama supporters and one serious dog convert. One of my other sayings besides "Its Better to Travel Hopefully than to arrive" is "The People Make the Places".

Mike