Here Be Dragons

I was talking with a coworker today about the location of another area church. He explained to me that it was just up Park Road from the Quail Hollows Shopping Center, where Gleneagles Road intersects Park.

I knew the point of reference. Just last week I was over that way for lunch with a friend. My coworker’s directions to the church were to turn right on Park from Gleneagles. I’d turned left. I realized that I had no idea what was to the right.

I paused. “Does Fairview intersect Park?” I asked. I thought I remembered being on Park Road, and getting there from Fairview.
“Yep,” said my coworker.
“Farther up?” I asked.
“Yeah, if you turned right onto Park from Gleneagles, you’d eventually cross Fairview.”

I tried to picture it all in my mind. I had two anchor points, two places I knew, but the space between them was a blank.

I realized that most of my mental map of Charlotte is like that. I have intersections or roads I’m familiar with, but the space between is the “Here be dragons” areas of the ancient cartographers—utterly unknown.

I suppose my “Here be dragons” areas will diminish with time, but for now, I rather revel in the mystery. Who knows what thrill or terror might be around the next corner?