Directionally and Electronically Challenged! - Michele Normand

Yesterday was so much FUN!  Our special black belt training put us first in the car with KJN Jeremy BLINDFOLDED!  As we are driving along to whatever destination we were headed we (the candidates) were trying to guess the direction we were going and where we might be going.  With a sharp turn here and a 360 there, I was lost.  It seemed to me that the other candidates had a good idea of where we were but again I WAS LOST! We were dropped off in Downtown Gresham where we were sent clues via a cell phone.  Luckily for me it was our youngest team members that knew how to work the technology or I may still be in downtown. Then there was the geocaching challenge.  We had to find a box somewhere in the park.  Although we had a google map with a red bubble to our location I can say I was still lost (though I tried to look like I knew where I was going :).  Thank goodness for my teammates or I may have never been heard from again!  Once we found the box we had to put together four puzzles with a message and coordinates of where to go next.  They all had their phones and were punching in numbers and I HAD NO CLUE of exactly where I was or what direction I needed to go to get to our next destination!  Had it again not be for my teammates and I had been alone I would have had to unlock my knowledge of personal safety and:

1-Use my mind- That would have been in a panic!
2-Use my words - Scream for help!
3-Use my legs - Run in most likely the wrong direction.
4-Ask for help - Run to the fence that I saw in I'm not sure what direction it was smash my face against it and scream for help to cars driving past.
5-Defend yourself - From my own mind screaming YOUR LOST!!!!!!!!!!

We learn a lot about ourselves through challenges and I learned that I have an obvious disability.  I am directionally and electronically challenged!  I'm ok with it, I know they are weaknesses for me. The best lesson I got from yesterday was although I am weak in those areas, my teammates were strong and with them I was able to navigate through the challenges.  

I couldn't have done it without them!