Loudon Directions

When a friend gives me directions to his house he might say something like, “Go west on route 32, then north on route 31 for around 20 miles to state road 141. We are 3 miles east of 31 on 141.” Effective, but no pizzazz.

I prefer Loudon directions, where the little league football field used to be “Up behind the old high school”, even after it had long since stopped being a high school; or directions to Steekee might include, “turn right there where Miss White’s store used to be”, or “head out like you’re going to Jackson’s Chapel but turn off to the right there not much past the cut off to the old Davis Ferry”; or directions to the high school might be, “out in West End, on the left just past the projects.” Much more character.

Granted, you would need a working knowledge of the geographical history of the area, but the Loudon directions are just as exact as the other, more antiseptic ones I get now, but with a lot more feeling and meaning, where the one giving the directions naturally assumes you know the area as much as he does. There are no preconceived notions about who you are, or why you want to go there --- at least none that are spoken. In a way it’s as if you are being accepted, and we all like that.