two planets
you are utterly and frustratingly inscrutable: i could read all about astronomy, physics, mathematics; about planets and star systems and galaxies; about atoms, quarks, hadrons, and protons and neutrons -- and yet i will never understand you. and, well, dear universe: i think i may just stop trying.
i think it would be terribly useful if google maps included a feature allowing one to look up directions on how to navigate one's own life. then, were one ever required to do anything tremendously unpleasant, one would nonetheless be secure in the knowledge that that was the road to success. and if one ever did something rude or hurtful to another person, one could simply print out a copy of one's map-of-life and show it to the offended party, thus dispelling any sort of responsibility for the action itself: it was posted on google maps, after all. we would never need to take anything personally, or feel hurt by another's actions: they were simply following directions; maybe they didn't want to act rudely after all.
overtime, it might develop into some kind of social networking site, allowing individuals to display their maps to one another and look for all the places where their lives might intertwine. i'm not sure how long the social aspect would last, however, when -- much like google maps -- very personal pictures and videos would start to appear at certain points in your map, such as when you are picking up the paper off the doorstep wearing only underwear and an unsinched robe, or in the middle of eating tacos (tacos are not easy to eat cleanly, and never eaten prettily), or even taking a shower. and, eventually, as happy as some of us might be to find that our life's decisions have already been decided for us and for our benefit, we would inevitably begin to wonder where google was getting their information -- and feel a little creeped out by it all. and there would be still some of us, like myself, who are so directionally impaired that we would find ourselves lost even with the directions printed clearly on paper or on screen.
i think it would be terribly useful if google maps included a feature allowing one to look up directions on how to navigate one's own life. then, were one ever required to do anything tremendously unpleasant, one would nonetheless be secure in the knowledge that that was the road to success. and if one ever did something rude or hurtful to another person, one could simply print out a copy of one's map-of-life and show it to the offended party, thus dispelling any sort of responsibility for the action itself: it was posted on google maps, after all. we would never need to take anything personally, or feel hurt by another's actions: they were simply following directions; maybe they didn't want to act rudely after all.
overtime, it might develop into some kind of social networking site, allowing individuals to display their maps to one another and look for all the places where their lives might intertwine. i'm not sure how long the social aspect would last, however, when -- much like google maps -- very personal pictures and videos would start to appear at certain points in your map, such as when you are picking up the paper off the doorstep wearing only underwear and an unsinched robe, or in the middle of eating tacos (tacos are not easy to eat cleanly, and never eaten prettily), or even taking a shower. and, eventually, as happy as some of us might be to find that our life's decisions have already been decided for us and for our benefit, we would inevitably begin to wonder where google was getting their information -- and feel a little creeped out by it all. and there would be still some of us, like myself, who are so directionally impaired that we would find ourselves lost even with the directions printed clearly on paper or on screen.