Sometime recently, my GPS has begun to forget things. Very basic things really. Things all young GPSs learn right after installation. 

After years of my peppy Aussie giving me perfectly adequate directions—though when he says “left” or “right” both directions do sound absolutely identical—and rescuing me from tight spots from time to time, I’ve started to worry about whether my ol’ Aussie is getting a bit senile. 

You see, I was driving from home to work the other day and I wasn’t familiar with the route so I called upon my trusty Aussie. “Take me to the museum!” I declared. “G’day!” he replied, or at least that’s what I believe he would have said if he were programmed to. And off we went, speeding merrily along the smaller roads of my town on our way to the interstate. It was at one particular intersection when I heard it though.

On the GPS’ screen, it told me to: Turn left onto Iris Dr. 

Simple enough.

But when my Aussie piped up to tell me what to do just in case, he told me to “turn left onto Iris Doctor!” 

Surely, surely it was just a one time thing, right? Sadly not. For my Aussie, all drives are doctors now. And occasionally, streets are just “st” as if he stuttered just a bit. 

I have to wonder if this memory loss has anything to do with the fact that at least once per trip, my GPS violently launches itself from its position on the windshield onto the floor or the gear shift. Perhaps my Aussie is simply tired of the continual traffic jams and wants no more than to end it all now.