You can draw your own map

Some things are incidental. It seems I’m writing about intersections, maps, places and random encounters more frequently than usual. I had just met a map-maker several days ago.

Road encounters have made me realize that maps and directions are meaningless. Drivers ignore No-U turns, they forget roundabouts, prohibited left turns and right turns, double lines and single line. They drive as they wish. It’s a time race. It’s a matter of reaching the destination in a short time. Directions become less important. But maps and directions are important. They will teach drivers about lane discipline. Directions will let them know when to turn and not to, when to overtake and when to stop.  Directions should be followed. They will make the destination clear. Roads won’t be messy when you know the has-to-be done and has-not- to- be done things.

 There are maps once drawn. Some maps were outdated. Some were thrown away. Some were marked and erased. Some were half completed. Some were marked wrong. Some maps were chosen for studies. Some were redrawn with time.




Our bodies are mapped too. That’s why even heart has its ways to receive blood and give. The blood flow is carefully identified. They are given directions as when to pump in, when to pump blood out, the routes to carry oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood. The moment that heart doesn’t follow these directions, you’ll find yourself struck by sicknesses.

Do you remember the ‘map’ moments you have had?  I’ve had two map moments.  The first was when I was asked to write about ‘Myself’.  I’m sure we have all written essays on myself, when we were kids. That would have been probably the easiest to write about. Myself is not just about the name, age or school.  It’s a memory wake- up. It promotes self-awareness.  It’s a life map that helps you to visualize your life journey. Whether you’re going to move to another country to study or work, whether you are going to be a writer, a full time student, a stay home dad or mom or whether you want to be a minister of music and have your own music studio. It could be even about tangible valuables like owning a Summer house at Hollywood.  And this is what a map does too. A map will display places helping us to visualize where they are located. They will help us find the route to our destination, whether we move on land, sea or air. A map will tell us how far we are from the desired location or how much we’ve got to drive. This is why they say drawing your own life map is important; to track yourself in a way of a map chart. So, you will know where your journey ends and how to weigh your efforts to achieve goals.

There are hiking and biking maps. There are maps for rapids in white water and maps to show fishing structures in lakes.  Maps identify countries. Like ‘myself’ that promotes identity, a map will also show up themselves. They will tell you the things a country has. Some countries will have deserts, but some may not. Some will be covered by sea. Their shapes will describe the position of lagoons and bays. They will tell you how a country differs from another. Like you and I, whose figures, positions, likes and dislikes will differ from each another.

The other map moment was, when I was away in Thailand for two months. In an age where technology is seemingly conquering us, google maps were handy stuff to know places in Thailand. Maps will let you know the locations, and help you drive there; pointing out buildings and streets you pass.  The good thing about maps is, there is hope you will not get lost in an unknown city. But then again how ‘well’ you know to read maps matter. That’s a skill you got to acquire.Interestingly, a map can become a legal document too. They can be altered into evidence when dealing with land fights. It is always necessary that you provide courts a sketch map of your land, showing its physical boundaries and demarcations to sell them, to lease or to divide.You can make your own map.

Uses of a map depend on what you do with it. Start with simple things. Help your friend with a map showing directions to your home. Or maybe draw a sketch describing what you want to be, what you were, what you have been doing so far and what things you ought to do. We can make things easy, if we want to. Like maps that make it easy to discover and explore.

 ( Featured in 'The Nation' newspaper on 9th November 2014)

 http://www.nation.lk/edition/jeans/item/34939-you-can-draw-your-own-map.html#sthash.Vb6WZiku.dpuf