Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Map Reading

A few miles west of Carrizozo, New Mexico, I stopped to answer Nature's call, to stretch my legs, and have a smoke break. While milling around I dug out my phone from the truck to call the RV park for which I had reservations for directions. Here's the conversation:

Me: Hi, This this is Tom Simpson. I am a few miles out of town and need directions to your park.

Park Manager: Good evening, Dr. Simpson. We are easy to find. Just take exit 185 off of I-40 and we are located one mile north on the right. You can't miss it.

Me: Hold it, did you say 'I-40'?

Park Manager: Yes, sir. Exit 185.

Me: But, I am on US 60, fifteen miles west of Carrizozo.

Park Manager: Then you are about 150 miles south of us. We will expect to see you in about four hours.

Come to find out, I had booked myself for a place I did not intend to visit. I looked at the Woodall's Guide to RV Parks and discovered that I had failed to read the manual correctly. I was way off course.

What to do? I thumbed through the Guide Book and discovered that I could drive south 50 miles to Almagordo, spend the night, then drive on to Abilene the next day. A quick phone call to the Boot Hill RV Park fixed me up with a space.

And, what a treat I enjoyed. I sat in my lime green chair and watched the most incredible sunset I have seen in my life.

I kept Miss Kitty (the truck) hooked up to the Airstream so that I could get an early start tomorrow. My plan is to make Abilene then onto Athen, Texas, the next day.

Sometimes, the stupid mistakes I make work out well. This is an example. I would not trade this sunset. Even our mistakes can yield great benefits, if we have the right attitude about them.

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