Introduction

I imagine "calling Shotgun" was an institution in lots of families. In my family of origin, there was another reason to want to sit next the driver besides getting to see better and the legroom. On family trips, the person riding shotgun also was "the navigator." It was a rare situation in which I got to tell my father where to go.

I do remember when I learned which way was north. I think I was about ten. We talked about that in my family. It seemed kind of arbitrary, but I figured it was just part of what people know. That was probably about the time I learned to read maps. It wasn't until I was around 18 that I learned that there are people who don't always know which way is north. Later I learned that there are people who don't read maps for fun and don't feel disoriented upon landing in an airport in a new place until figuring out the directions.

So, you begin to see why the name of this blog. Family and friends call me up on the phone when they are lost. Even when they are in different cities. When I lived in New England for a while, I joined the New England Orienteering Club. My wife says she doesn't need a GPS, she's got me. However, it wasn't until I started hanging around with recreational tree climbers (the subject of a future post) that it became official. I was told that if I didn't choose a nickname, someone would choose one for me. While I was trying to come up with something, a friend from New Tribe suggested The Navigator and I decided I could do a lot worse.