Google Doesn't Know

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Excuse me. Where’s City Hall?

Up this road, and turn right at the second traffic light.

Thanks a lot.

No problem.


Manitoba Legislature.

The problem is that I’m still not quick with left or right. When I was very young and debt free, I could not figure it out. Genius that I am, I had a solution. I shook one arm and tried to snap my fingers. If it was stiff, that was the left arm. The other arm easily wiggled and I could snap my fingers. That’s the right arm.

Boarding schools in Africa were run on British military lines. We stood in in two lines while the girls’ matron inspected our school uniform then marched us to the chapel for morning assembly, LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT, The boarding master had the same marching orders for boys. That was many moons ago.

Today’s kids do not go through that trauma of not knowing left from right. Why not? They can Google it. But does Google know?  You bet, Google knows everything. Not really. Google and GPS provide directions in east, west, north and south.

It cannot help me with turning left or right at the traffic light. Ha! Ha! I was once in a car with a couple. We were lost. The boyfriend was driving and his girlfriend kept telling him to look at GPS. He would not look at that screen. Tension in the car, but they resolved it. They are married with kids.

The moral of the story is: Google doesn’t have all the answers.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang. 

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