Left or right? Oh, never mind!!

Okay, so as the new year arrives I am going to confess something publicly which only very close friends know. I am born with an impediment which makes my life tougher..and interesting.

I dont know right from left. I have zero sense of direction. Yes, its true. I am not exaggerating.

This inability of mine makes travelling anywhere an adventure. Every time, I have to trust the cab drivers. I tell them the address and they take me there. And all the while I keep wondering whether I ll reach home. I am at the mercy of the driver.. ofcourse they dont know it. I pretend to know my way thoroughly. Thats until they stop and ask me the direction ..then i just look around and put in some ahh..um..umm..well..and then call up a friend.


To make matters worse, I live in a city where people hardly speak my language. When they do the accent makes it incomprehensible anyway.Most of the time I think I can live with it. But sometimes coupled with my inborn deficiency of direction, it becomes dangerous.
Like this one time, when I told the driver the name of my locality, he got somthing else and took me the other way. After ten minutes of heavy contemplation whether I should ask him if he is sure he is on the right way ?(I had a vague sense of goin the wrong way because I could not see any landmarks that I am used to when i travel that way), I finally asked him. The driver said he thought I had to go somewhere else and that we were actually in the other part of the town.

It was three o clock in the morning. The driver knew I had no idea about where we had to go. In other words, he knew he could take me anywhere. It is a scary situation I tell you. But thankfully he brought me home.

What do I do to battle this ..er..deficiency,,in me? I pick up the way in images. If I see a wall, with a particular message painted on it, i know I m on the right way. If I see a showroom, then I know I have to take the next turn. Yes, I am THAT WAY. :)

But this makes me very unsure about questioning the driver if he is taking me to the right place .Because I cant tell him I didnt see my showroom, so I am sure we are on the wrong way. Sounds corny, ain't it? And then I think ..okay, maybe he knows some other way..a shorter one, an alternative, and hold my breath and wait for the familiar scenes to appear.
And what a joy it is when you suddenly see shops that you know, roads that you are familiar with. Every time, I tell you..every time, I feel like hugging the driver. Every cab ride is an adventure. Everytime its a completely new ride. And I'll tell you a secret. I love it.
I have one sicere question though for everybody: How do you figure out whats left and whats right? Other than looking at your hands and thinking okay..thats the one i write from, so its left..and the other one must be right..(thats the way I figure it out..You have any other easier way??)
Ciao..:)