For those of us who aren’t intuitive about directions and become disoriented pretty much anywhere below Canal Street in Manhattan, as well as in most of the other boroughs, Google, bless their virtual souls, has come to the rescue. Using our Blackberries and Smartphones, we can ask where we are, and Google will answer far more graciously than my husband, who barks when I, who hog the driving, ask, “Which way?”
“How many times have you been at this intersection?” is what he’ll say, when I’m hoping for a simple “left” or “right.”
“Why don’t you learn to use landmarks?” is another favorite.
“Which one is the Williamsburg Bridge?” he asks, resenting that I think of all three downtown bridges as the Brooklyn Bridges. Okay, maybe it’s a serious flaw, but Google, who can pinpoint my location by reading the nearest cell tower, is more forgiving and willing to answer my questions without cursing.
Google is always there for me, never losing patience. I’m counting on Google to develop whatever it is—software or hardware—so that they can branch out and be there for us in our neediest moments, not just geographical, to answer things like:
Where did I leave my reading glasses?
Will the installer come in the morning, or afternoon?
Has my teenager, who was supposed to be home two hours ago, been given a date rape drug?
Can you help find our lost dog?
Is my lover running around on me?
Where can I find a parking space?
Should I hold out hope that the contractor is really coming, or is he on another job or in court?
