I was walking through the parking lot at my workplace the other day when a car pulled up next to me and stopped. Behind the wheel was an older gentleman. When I say, "older" I don't mean an OLD man, just older. We exchanged the usual pleasantries before he asked if I could tell him where the Tags Office is located. (for those of you who don't live in the south, the "Tags Office" is where we go to purchase the little stickers that affix to our license plates) Well, as a frequent visitor of the Tags Office, giving those directions would be a piece of cake...or so I thought. The interaction went something like this:
Me: "Yes. Just go back out to this road, take a right and when you come to the third stoplight take another right then an immediate left..."
Older Gentleman: (shaking his head) "That man he give me crazy directions. Crazy! He tell me to come down here. Ok. I come to the first stoplight then what?"
Me: "You just go straight. The second stoplight is sort of a main intersection where the liquor store is..."
OG: "Oh, the Tags Office is up town! I need to go up town!"
Me: "No. You would have to turn at the second light to go up town, but you don't want to turn at that light. You don't turn until you get to the third light. At the third light make a right and then a left. There's a restaurant there and...oh...I can't think of the name of it."
OG: "BB&T?"
(BB&T is a bank) A feeling of helpless frustration began creeping over me.
Me: "No."
From the passenger seat the man produced a flier with a large, shiny picture of a vehicle license plate and said, "This is what I'm looking for." He turned the flier over, pointed to an advertisement on the back then added, "Nationwide Insurance!"
At that point I knew life was just not being fair to this nice man.
Me: "Do you want to buy a sticker for your car?"
OG: "Yep! That's what I want."
Me: "Ok. Go down here and turn right at the third stoplight then turn left. The Tags Office is in a little strip mall right next to Dollar Tree."
OG: "Dollar Tree? I know where Dollar Tree is! So, I go to Dollar Tree and go up the hill..."
Me: "Well, you just go to Dollar Tree, park your car in the parking lot out front and you will find the Tags Office right next door."
OG: "Thank you, Mame. You have a nice day."
With a heavy heart, I watched him drive away and I wondered if he would find the Tags Office, Dollar Tree or even the third stop light. I pictured him in another part of town, telling yet another stranger, "That women she give me crazy directions. Crazy!"
