True North

My maternal Grandmother had a preoccupation with direction- direction as in north south east and west.

She never used right or left, everything was described in terms of its location directionally.

"The salt shaker is on the shelf just north of the bowls."

That was relatively easy for me to decode, as I could identify a salt shaker, but when she didn't refer to a specific item or place I was completely lost.

"Put your bags in the northeast room," she would say.

Dude, I'm ten, can you give me another clue? How about room color?

I didn't know where northeast was when I was at my house.

My mother does the same thing.

"I got a new rug for the south room," she recently told me.

I always respond as though I know exactly what she is talking about .

"You needed a rug in there," I'll say just to be positive about the purchase, as I know thats really what she wants.

I have a poor sense of direction, and although most of the time I can tell what direction I am traveling it has taken me years.

On the dash board of my Grandmother's car she had a compass. I remember thinking it seemed obtrusive, I didn't like the way it looked, yet I couldn't stop staring at it bobbing as she drove. Now it sits on my desk in my office .

So when my Grandmother was somewhere unfamiliar she would always and I mean ALWAYS ask," Which way is north?"

And I always thought, who cares? She cared- a little direction obsessed.

Now I think its how she understood the world and her place in it, and I sort of get it.

The compass on my desk is out of balance, it no longer points in the right direction...but it doesn't matter- somehow in spite of my limitations I know true north...