Likely Normal

We are a people of technology, of progress, of absolutely zero sense of direction. If our GPS suddenly died, most of us would wander in circles until we were eventually found by search dogs, muttering, “I swear the coffee shop was around here somewhere.”

Meanwhile, the older generations navigate like they have an internal compass and a full satellite uplink. Your grandpa will casually glance at the sun, sniff the air, and declare, “Ah, we’re about 12 miles west of where we should be—let’s cut through this cornfield.” And somehow, he’s right.

The Ancient Art of “Just Knowing”

Boomers and Gen Xers have this mystical ability to just remember how to get places. They’ll say things like:

• “Oh yeah, you take a left where the old Johnson barn used to be.”

• “Just follow the road until you see the big oak tree—no, the other big oak tree.”

• “If you hit the railroad tracks, you’ve gone too far… unless it’s the other railroad tracks.”

Meanwhile, if Google Maps glitches for five seconds, millennials and Zoomers pull over in panic, hands shaking, whispering, “I don’t know where I am… I don’t know who I am…”

The Road Atlas: A Forgotten Relic

Remember those giant paper maps? Yeah, neither do we. But our parents treated them like sacred texts. They’d unfold one the size of a small tablecloth, trace a route with their finger, and then refold it perfectly—a skill more impressive than anything NASA engineers do today.

Now, if you hand a millennial a paper map, they’ll stare at it like it’s written in hieroglyphics before sighing, “Can’t I just screenshot the directions?”

“I’ll Just Ask for Directions” – A Lost Concept

Older generations had no shame in rolling down the window and asking a gas station attendant for help. Meanwhile, today’s youth would rather drive into a lake than make awkward eye contact with a stranger. “No, no, it’s fine—I’ll just loop around the block for the 17th time until my phone reconnects.”

The Great GPS Betrayal

Nothing is more humiliating than when technology fails you at the worst moment:

• “In 500 feet, turn left.” (You turn left.)

• “Recalculating… turn right.” (You turn right.)

• “Make a U-turn if possible.” (You are now in a river.)

Meanwhile, your dad is in the passenger seat, shaking his head. “You know, back in my day, we just looked at the road signs.”

The Final Irony

The older generations built the roads, memorized them, and could probably still navigate them blindfolded. Meanwhile, we—the most connected generation in history—would be helpless without a little blue dot telling us where to go.

So next time your GPS fails, just accept your fate: You are lost. But don’t worry—your grandma knows exactly where you are. She always does.