How embarrassing ...

LOST

Is this:

A. What little kids often get when they don't hold mom's hand in the mall.
B. A highly popular television show.
C. What I got tonight in my very own neighborhood.

D. All of the above.

If you chose D, you'd be correct.

I came home from work tonight with a plan. I'd go for a quick run, come home and cook the salmon and vegetables I'd just bought at Sendik's, and then sit down to post about Frisbee golf.

It didn't really work out like that, though.

Around 6:15, I set out for the paved bike trail that runs from Whitefish Bay all the way downtown by the art museum. I used to run on that path all the time when I lived near UWM and was training for the marathon, but I hadn't been on it since moving to Shorewood, so I wanted to find it.

It was a straight shot down my street in the opposite direction of the lake about a half a mile and there was the trail. I entered through the woods and ran to the end – about a mile – and turned around. Once I'd been running for what seemed like enough time, I started to look for the little path I'd entered on. I found it – or thought I did – and exited the trail.

I noticed that the street across from the entrance wasn't my street, but I thought it had either curved around a little and become a different street, or perhaps I'd exited at the wrong place but it didn't matter since the two streets obviously ran parallel to one another.

Well, I walked and walked and walked and never hit the cross street that I was supposed to hit. The streets that ran through the residential area kept winding and curving, and I just kept heading in what I thought was the direction of my house. I hadn't gone that far – how lost could I be?

At each intersection, no matter which way I turned, it was all quiet little streets with beautiful houses and lawns. Normally I marvel at how different and unique they all are, but tonight, they started to all look the same and I grew panicky. I felt like I did when I was little and would lose mom in a store. Even though I knew that I'd find her eventually and probably nothing bad was going to happen, I still felt helpless and terribly scared. Tonight I felt myself on the verge of tears a few times and then thought, seriously, you're a grown woman. You'll figure out how to get home.

Finally, I decided I'd have to ask someone for directions. I passed a few people and then just swallowed my pride and approached a man who was watering his lawn. I said I know this sounds silly but I'm kind of new to the area (fib) and I ventured out too far (kind of a fib) and I got all turned around and can't find my way home. Can you point me in the right direction? He was so nice and told me how to get back to my street – turns out I had to go about ten blocks back the way I'd just come, and then another twelve to head back down toward my street.

I have no idea how I got that lost so close to home, but it's embarrassing. And pretty funny, too, now that I'm home and can laugh about it. I was gone from the house for an hour and a half when I wanted to be gone for maybe 25 minutes, and I covered more than six miles (I was wearing a pedometer but of course had no cell phone with me in case I'd gotten really, REALLY lost) when I wanted to cover two or three. I was tired when I got home!

Once I was headed in the right direction tonight and could breathe a (huge) sigh of relief, I looked at the situation as something that was maybe supposed to happen. Maybe by getting lost, I avoided a bad situation somewhere else. On my way back I passed three lilac bushes (my favorite) that I never would have passed otherwise. Maybe it was the universe's way of telling me that I needed some extra exercise tonight after my weekend of gluttony! Who knows?

Anyway, by the time I cooked and ate dinner, and of course relayed the story to Dave and then my mom, it was well after 9:00 and I decided I didn't have it in me to upload all the pics from Sunday and recap our excursion. So it'll still be coming, probably tomorrow.

That's my story. Now I'm off to bed to rest these tired legs!

Comments

[Yulinka]

Ha! I got lost in Shorewood back in December. I had just moved to the neighborhood (which I know fairly well) and went for a quick run at about 10:30 p.m. I ended up wondering around in the dark for 45 minutes. I didn't have my cell phone on me either and hardly anyone is out in Shorewood at night. Eventually I found my way home, but now I stick to a well-known route when I go running.

[Amanda]

I got lost in my new neighborhood too. Not quite as badly...but I did get lost. I think it happens to the best of us.

But I like how you turned it into something positive with the lilacs. Way to have an open mind.

[Christi]

Sometimes the only true way to learn your surroundings, is to get lost in them first! I can't tell you how many times I get lost venturing into new places and eventually I'll find my way out and think "oh THATS where that road takes me". Without that moment of puzzlement, I would have never found out.

Great attitude though I agree with Amanda.

[David Ernst]

How neat that you are running on that bike path. Back when I was a kid, that was the Chicago Northwestern railroad main line from Milwaukee to Northern Wisconsin. I would ride the train from Milwaukee to West Bend on the same path where people now ride their bikes.