new paths, new ideas

There's a saying in support groups: If nothing changes, then nothing changes.
Lately, I find myself seeking change and that desire has been manifesting itself in my travels. Heretofore, my trips to Hiram have involved driving a stretch of road I have come to detest, to abhor, to loathe. This stretch of multi-lane highway between McDonough and Jonesboro, along I-75, begs for a catastrophic collision of automobiles. Every time I have driven this patch of madness, the traffic has gone from 80+ miles per hour to a screeching, all lanes, STOP. Every time. I have found it matters not whether I am traveling north or south, spring, summer, winter, or fall, good weather or sheeting rain. In addition, I have yet to find a time of day when the road is passable without this screeching, all lanes, STOP. Morning, midday, early afternoon, late afternoon, after nine in the evening. Absolutely insane.
The last time I went to Hiram, and drove through this patch of hell on earth, I resolved to find a new way. Accordingly, on my drive home, I continued on I-20 in an easterly direction rather than turning off onto I-285 South. What a nice surprise! Not only did I avoid the issue with McDonough and environs, I had a quite pleasant drive through Atlanta, with all lanes flowing smoothly. Yes, it was a Sunday afternoon, on a non-holiday weekend, so the scientist in me knew more experiments would need to be run, but this was a promising start.
I had looked at my Safe Driver Road Atlas prior to this quest, so I knew I wanted to exit at either GA-129 or GA-441 and I knew I wanted to stay on the roads marked "south" and "east." And so I did, having a nice little adventure, seeing bits of scenic Georgia I had never known. I chose exit 114, where both highways of interest were merged. I passed through Eatonton, with its Uncle Remus Museum, where I had to choose: 129 or 441? I knew naught of either, but didn't particularly want to drive to Milledgeville on this trip, so I selected GA-129. South, of course.
Good choice. The road bordered the Oconee National Forest, offering stunning views of valleys amid tree-draped, overlapping, hills. I should have pulled over to take a picture, but I have it firmly in the camera of my mind's eye. I have to wonder how much of these views will be blocked when the trees are fully clothed in their spring finery? No matter, I am sure the forest will still be beautiful and rich and calming.
I travel as far as Gray and find myself questioning the road signs. If GA-129 were still going south, then why was the road now facing the evening sun?? I surely did not want to travel back toward Atlanta! My trusty map being in the trunk - definite mistake - and me being unwilling to take a break from driving to fetch said map, I made a command decision to try a road less traveled. Off I turned onto County Road 18, proceeding easterly! And less traveled it certainly was. There were long stretches of up and down, sweetly curving, pavement on which I alone drove on that blue-sky afternoon, with my window open partway to catch the sweet breeze of my passage.
After a while, though, I began to question my impromptu decision to take this little road. Where were the signs for I-16? Just how far away WAS the interstate? After all, I did want to end up on I-16 again, as I had no quarrel with it. But where was it??? And about the time I was thinking I might want to stop and actually peruse my map, there it was: I-16 that-a-way, following County Road 96. Whew!
My relief turned to dismay once I actually regained the interstate. Mile marker 25?! Oh, no! I must have backtracked and lost time! I was apparently not very far outside Macon and had miles to go to reach Dublin. And yet, a calculation of the time remaining on my journey revealed that I had only added about 30 minutes to my trip. Success!!! I would study my atlas when I arrived home and would see just how well I had done, driving by the seat of my pants, so to speak.
And I found I had done pretty well, bolstering my confidence in myself as a navigator. I've mapped out some other routes to try for the next time I venture to Atlanta, or beyond, and look forward to testing those theories.
I also found that Macon is much further along on the path homeward than I had recalled. Sometimes, an idea gets set in one's mind, an idea with no truth to it, yet an idea which holds fast. My take on Macon is such an idea. In my mind, Macon is almost to Atlanta... when, in truth, the city is only about two-thirds of the distance there and lies some 70-odd miles to the southeast of the metropolis. I'm going to have to work on that mistaken belief which my mind holds so closely. Perhaps the best way to erase a lie is to keep the proof in front of one's eyes.