I read this prompt and was prompting myself to write about. I thought of all gadgets, home appliances that made life simple and easy. Then came mobile phone, online banking, cashless transactions.
But most important? I could not zero in on one, the most important, until I read about Dr Glady West, who died recently, July 17, 2026. She is the woman behind GPS. A mathematician whose research laid the groundwork for global position system.
This, of all inventions, is the most important one for me. Why? Because I have always struggled with driving due to my terrible sense of direction. My sense of direction is so pathetic that I could get lost anywhere, even in my neighbourhood. How often I wonder this building was on the left how come it’s come on the right! Now of course, the building won’t move.
If I had to go somewhere, no matter how well someone explained directions I could never trust my sense. At every turn I asked directions. Going anywhere alone meant a lot of stress, even if I had been to a place several times. People invited me ‘Come over, you can drive.’ ‘Yes, I can, but how do I tell you what my problem is’.(´•︵•`)
But all this is a thing of past. No getting lost, nor asking directions ever since GPS came into my life. My life changed. I feel safe, secure, confident. Tell me ‘where to’ and I’ll drive. And since then GPS has become my constant companion on all drives, even when I know the way and I drive to the place frequently. With GPS as my guide, I’m never alone.
Thank you Dr Gladys West for navigating my life! 🌹
Roots n Wings 